The Journey of the Guardian
by dragonwolf12
Summary: Rewrite of The Chosen One's Journey. Ash learns of the many paths that one can lead in the world of Pokemon, changing the path of his destiny forever. Read how Ash travels around the regions with a more progressive look on Pokemon training. Aura! Rayshipping! I don't own Pokemon.
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Pallet Town. Many of the residents could be seen working in their gardens, tending to their lawn, or taking care of their Pokémon. It was on this beautiful day that the future of the Pokémon World changed into something else.

 _The Pokémon Ranger Corps. A group of individuals who have dedicated their lives to the aid of Pokémon. Armed only with a Capture Styler, and occasionally aided by a single Pokémon companion, the Rangers utilize the strength of wild Pokémon to avert natural disasters, aid Pokémon in peril, and protect the environment. In order to become a Pokémon Ranger, one must be at the peak of physical fitness, have a natural inclination to Pokémon, and the will to do good._

 _The Pokémon Ranger Corps was created based off of the historical accounts of the Aura Guardians. Incredible individuals who were able to utilize the aura to do their will, in most accounts they had a single Pokémon Partner, often a Lucario. There are very few Aura Guardians alive today, but those that do exist are made honorary members of the Pokémon Ranger Corps. Of course, they don't get a Capture Styler, but some say that an Aura Guardian's aura can do everything a Capture Styler can and more._

 _Aura Guardian's are very secretive about their knowledge. But what has been garnered is it is a largely self-taught discipline. Primarily, an aura adept (someone who has the potential to learn aura manipulation) would somehow gain the friendship of a Pokémon that can instinctively manipulate aura, such as a Riolu. This Pokémon would be able to teach its human companion how to manipulate their aura, then together they would expand their abilities._

 _There have been some cases of other Pokémon being born with the ability to manipulate aura. The Aura Guardian Jack Spencer, who was known to have sealed a rogue Spiritomb within a stone tower, had a Pikachu for a partner._

Seven year old Ash Ketchum sat under a large tree on the outskirts of town. Resting in his lap was a thin volume titled Pokémon Professions _._ It had been a gift from Professor Oak on his recent seventh birthday, as a thank you gift for participating in his Pokémon Summer Camp.

Normally, Ash wouldn't have anything to do with a book like this. Normally, he wouldn't have anything to do with a book period. Ash knew he was going to be a Pokémon Master, and anything else was just background.

But Ash's mother, Delia, had put her foot down. She had ordered Ash to read the book or she would forbid him from getting his Trainer's license on his tenth birthday. So here Ash was, making his way through the book.

Ash had to admit, some of these jobs looked really cool. Being a Pokémon Ranger in particular looked awesome, the only problem with that was that he couldn't have more than one Pokémon. Ash suddenly frowned, was he really ready to give up on his dream already?

Turning his attention back to the book, he skimmed through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

 _Pokémon Master._

 _A Pokémon Master is a dream that many young trainers pursue, but many do not truly understand what it means to be a Pokémon Master._

 _The title of Pokémon Master is a title very few are able to achieve, but once it is achieved one's name will go down in history. Every twenty years, a tournament is held on Mastery Island, hosted by the Pokémon League. A select of group of notable individuals are invited to attend each tournament, and the winner is then placed in the hall of fame and granted the title Pokémon Master. League Champions, Elite four Members, Pokémon Researchers, League winners, Top Coordinator's, high level Gym Leader's, are all included in the list of possible candidates._

 _On rare occasions, individuals who have done incredible deeds in defense of Pokémon or have proven to have an unbeatable connection to Pokémon are offered the title of Honorary Pokémon Master. Notable Pokémon Researcher Professor Samuel Oak, for his many discoveries in Pokémon, is currently being considered as an Honorary Pokémon Master._

Ash slowly closed his book and sat back against the tree, lost in thought.

* * *

-Three years later-

Ash gave a groan as he dug yet another hole for the newest fence Professor Oak was putting up in his pasture. Some idiotic trainer had thought it was a good idea to go to the Safari Zone and capture thirty Tauros. Now the whole herd was stampeding through the ranch until they could make a new enclosure for them.

Ash had been working for Professor Oak for nearly three years now. After finishing his Pokémon Professions book he'd had gone to the Professor and begged for the chance to learn from him. Oak had decided that the best way to learn was by doing, so he gave Ash a job working at his ranch. Indeed, Ash learned quite a bit about Pokémon, helping the researcher taking care of the many species that populate his ranch.

Tomorrow however was Ash's tenth birthday, the day he would get his trainer's license, and ironically the day Professor Oak would get his latest shipment of Starter Pokémon for the new trainers. The next morning, Ash would join the other beginning trainers to get his official starter Pokémon.

Finally, Ash put the last post in place. The fence was far from finished, but it would be someone else's problem now. With a sigh, he packed up his stuff and started making his way back to the house. It took ten minutes to get there, and when he did Ash walked into the building and made his way towards the Professor's workstation.

"I've finished with the fence Professor," Ash announced as he entered the room.

"Ah, thank you Ash," Oak said as he turned from his computer, "I'll have the contractor come in tomorrow to finish it."

Ash nodded, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes as a matter of fact," Oak said. He stood up and pulled a small box from within his desk. "I've taken the liberty of getting you a little going away present."

Ash was stunned. "Thank you Professor," he said. Taking the box, he pulled it open and took out a square laptop-like device. Opening it, he saw that the top half was comprised of a large screen, and the bottom half had two buttons with a blue dome in the center.

"This is a Pokénav plus," Oak explained, "Fully upgraded with map functions, a radio chip, and a video phone."

"Wow, thanks Professor," Ash said.

"I've also taken the liberty of modifying it with a special wireless link to my computer system," Oak said with a smile on his face.

Ash nearly dropped the device in surprise. "But professor," he stuttered.

"Please Ash," he interrupted, "I think we're close enough that you can drop the formalities. Just call me Sam."

Ash choked slightly, "Um, ok...Sam, thats really wierd, are you sure you want to do that? What if someone steals it? This could be used to completely bypass your security system!"

"Oh don't worry about that Ash," Sam waved it away, "I trust you'll be able to keep it safe."

Ash just stared at him. "I'm honored," he finally managed, "But, why would you give this to me? Why not Gary?"

Sam sighed at the mention of his grandson, "Gary is letting his relation to me go to his head," he explained, "He needs to learn more before I grant him this privilege. You on the other hand have proven to me beyond a doubt that you can put this information to good use.

"However, I expect something in return," he continued, "I'm getting too old to go out into the field anymore. You are going to be my new eyes and ears. I'm expecting frequent reports of your findings."

Ash squared his shoulders and nodded, "I won't let you down sir," he said.

"Hmm good, now be off with you," Sam shooed him out the door, "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

Ash raced through the streets of Pallet, struggling to get to the Ranch in time for the starter Pokémon giveaway. He'd gotten up with plenty of time to spare, then he'd had to deal with a seemingly unending series of delays.

First he couldn't find his left shoe, then his mother burned breakfast (something he hadn't thought possible when she was cooking), then Delia had fussed over him for fifteen minutes before letting him leave.

There was a huge crowd of people surrounding the front gate to the ranch. Ash let out a sigh, probably Gary's entourage, he thought ruefully. Instead of trying to fight his way through the crowd, Ash just hopped the fence and slipped in the side door. He made his way to Oak's primary lab space where he kept the Starter's.

Walking in, Ash was surprised to see three kids already there. He'd thought there were only two others. He knew that Oak had only gotten three starters. Each of the three kids were holding a Poké Ball, meaning they'd already chosen.

Knowing there was nothing he could do, Ash leant against the wall and waited as Sam gave his speech.

"You are only allowed to carry six Pokémon with you at one time. Any other's will automatically be sent to me until you call me and rotate your team. Here is your Pokédex and some extra Poké Balls, good luck."

"Thanks Gramps," Gary said with a smirk. He turned to walk out, and caught sight of Ash. "Well, look what we have here? Ashy-boy finally decided to show up huh? Well too bad, all of the Starters are gone." He laughed and walked out. Ash ignored him.

The other two thanked the professor and left as well.

Ash straightened and walked over, "Sorry I'm late Prof...Sam," he hastily corrected at the man's glare, "You wouldn't believe the morning I had."

"Think nothing of it Ash," he replied, "however, we had an unexpected guest asking for a starter and since you weren't here I couldn't deny him."

Ash nodded, he knew the rules. "I don't suppose you have another Pokémon I can use as a starter do you?"

Sam considered for a moment, before a smile grew on his face. "I just might. Wait right here."

Ash waited as the Professor left the room. He came back a few minutes later holding a Poké ball in his hand. "An acquaintance sent this to me a couple months ago for study. However he has been rather restless here at the lab. I believe he would be better off as your Pokémon."

Curious, Ash took the Poké ball and tossed it into the air. It burst open and released a small Pokémon. It was about two feet tall, bipedal, with blue and black fur and red eyes.

"Ri?" It said, looking up at Ash curiously.

"A Riolu," Ash breathed in shock. He looked up at Sam, "You're giving me a Riolu?"

"I am," he said, "like I told you yesterday, you have more than earned it."

"I...I don't know what to say," Ash stuttered, "thank you!"

"You're most welcome Ash," Sam said.

Ash crouched down so that he was eye level with Riolu. "Hi, my name is Ash. I'm your new trainer."

Riolu's eyes widened, "Rio Riolu ri," he said.

Grinning Ash continued, "It's my dream to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master, will you help me?"

"Ri!" Riolu nodded resolutely.

"Great, then let's get started!"

* * *

Ash walked down Route 1 with Riolu at his side, having decided to let the Pokémon stay out for the time being.

"Let's see," Ash mumbled to himself as he fiddled with his new Pokédex. Finally, he figured out the scan function and pointed it at Riolu.

" _ **Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. When sad or scared, Riolu's aura becomes stronger as a way of signaling its allies."**_

 _Type: Fighting  
Ability: Inner Focus  
Gender: Male  
Moves: Foresight, Quick Attack, Endure, Force Palm_

Ash nodded to himself as he looked over the list. "It's a good moveset, but with plenty of room for improvement."

"Riolu!" The Pokémon suddenly perked up and stared out into the bushes.

Frowning Ash asked, "What is it Riolu?"

Riolu didn't answer, instead he broke into a run racing out into the forest.

"Riolu, wait!" Ash shouted, running after him.

"Ri riolu ri," Riolu called over his shoulder as he leapt over a low branch.

"Riol...ah!" Ash yelled as he tripped over the branch. Ignoring the pain in his toe, Ash jumped back up and kept running.

They soon arrived at a small clearing. Ash came skidding to a stop and gasped at the sight before him. Lying in the middle of the clearing was a small brown Pokémon, one Ash recognized immediately. "An Eevee," he said in shock.

It was then that he noticed that the Eevee was injured. It whined piteously, wincing from all of the cuts along its body. A purple haze also surrounded it.

"We have to help," Ash said urgently. He whipped his backpack off and started rummaging through it, searching for the first aid kit his mother had packed for him. "Aha!" he announced, pulling the box from a small pocket on the side.

First, he pulled a small booklet and opened it to a picture of a Pecha Berry. "Riolu, find a berry that looks like this," he ordered, showing the Pokémon the picture. Riolu nodded and ran off into the woods.

Grabbing a few bandages and some disinfectant, Ash started crawling towards Eevee.

"It's ok," he said soothingly, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm gonna make you feel better."

Eevee looked at him warily, but didn't move. Ash slowly started dressing the various wounds on it's body. The Normal type stayed mostly still, but still winced and cried out every time he sprayed the disinfectant.

Riolu came back carrying the berry. "Ri," he offered it to Ash.

"Thanks Riolu," Ash said, taking the berry. He offered it to Eevee, "Here, eat this Eevee," he said, "It will help with the poison."

Struggling, Eevee sniffed the berry then gently ate it from his hand. Slowly, the purple haze disappeared. Ash smiled widely. He turned to Riolu, "Now I need you to find an Oran Berry." He showed him a picture. Riolu nodded and ran off again.

Ash finished wrapping the bandages and sat down to wait for Riolu to return. The Fighting Type returned after only a minute and gave Ash the Berry. He in turn offered it to Eevee, who ate it gratefully.

Sighing Ash sat back against a nearby tree. "That's all I can do Eevee, I wish I could do more though."

Riolu came up and grabbed Ash's hand. "Ri ri, riol lu ri ri lu rio." He dragged Ash over to Eevee and pressed his hand against the Pokémon's flank.

"Riolu?" Ash said in confusion.

Riolu closed his eyes in concentration. The two baubles hanging from his head rose into the air. Ash gasped as he suddenly felt something travel up his arm and to the very core of his being.

"What...what's going on?" Ash asked, a little wary.

He felt a pulling sensation, and a stream of energy flowed through his body, down his arm, and into Eevee. A bright blue glow enveloped his hand, then spread across Eevee. All of the injuries on Eevee shone through the bandages. As Ash watched, they seemed to shrink slightly.

The glow faded and Ash nearly collapsed from a wave of exhaustion. Panting heavily, he looked up at Riolu. His mind was racing. "Was that aura?" he asked, stunned.

Riolu nodded, a smile on his face.

"I..." Ash gulped, "I can use aura?"

Again, Riolu nodded.

Slowly, a grin broke across Ash's face. "That is so awesome!" he shouted.

He picked up Riolu in a hug, swinging him around. "This is so cool! Riolu, will you help me? We can work together and become Aura Guardians!"

Riolu yipped excitedly, nodding his agreement.

Eevee yipped. Ash turned to see him struggling to his feet. He rushed over to help him. "Easy there," he mumbled, putting a hand on his side. "Don't get up yet. I'll help you get better, I promise. For now, just stay still."

Eevee struggled for a moment, then seemed to sigh and lay back down.

Ash frowned, whatever he and Riolu had done with their Aura, it wasn't enough. He really needed to get Eevee to Nurse Joy. He sighed and reached into his pocket, producing an empty Poké ball. "Eevee, I really need to get you to Nurse Joy. She can heal you much better and faster than I ever could, but I need to capture you so I can get you to her quickly. Will you let me?"

Eevee looked at him for a couple of moments, before slowly nodding. Ash tapped the poké ball against Eevee's side, it popped open and absorbed Eevee in a flash of red light. It rocked back and forth in Ash's hand once...twice...then let out a dinging sound and released a burst of sparks. Eevee was caught.

Standing Ash turned to Riolu, "Come on buddy, we need to get to Viridian City fast."

Riolu nodded.

They jogged back to the main path and started making their way on to Viridian City as fast as they could. Unfortunately, it seemed that nature itself was against them. Storm clouds began gathering in the sky, blocking out the sun and flashing with lightning.

Soon enough it began to rain. Ash and Riolu rushed to take cover under a nearby tree. Ash pulled a tarp from his backpack and they huddled underneath it together, waiting for the rain to stop.

* * *

The rain didn't stop until just dusk. As the sky began to clear, the Ash and Riolu emerged from the tarp and gazed around at the soaked land. Ash gave a sigh as he saw the sun beginning to set, "Well, I guess we'll be camping here tonight. Eevee will just have to wait until tomorrow."

Riolu gave a whine in agreement.

A beautiful cry suddenly caught both of their attention. Looking up they saw a beautiful Pokémon flying across the sky. It was a massive multicolored bird that seemed to glow golden, and had a rainbow forming in it's wake.

"Ho-Oh!" Ash said in shocked awe, recognizing the Pokémon from descriptions provided in his studies on Legendary Pokémon. Ho-Oh was said to have disappeared millennia ago, travelling the world in search of a pure-hearted trainer.

Soon the bird flew out of sight, but in its place a single multicolored feather floated down. Ash reached up and caught it, staring at the feather in awe. He shared a glance with Riolu, who seemed equally surprised, before removing his hat and tucking it into the flap inside it's rim.

After a simple dinner, Ash spread out his sleeping bag and climbed in. Riolu curled up next to him and they fell into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning Ash cleaned up camp quickly and they set off once again towards Viridian City. However, half an hour into their jog a scream up ahead drew their attention.

Breaking into a run, they duo crested the next hill and looked down. About halfway down the hill was the smoking body of a girl. Next to her lay the ruined remains of a bicycle and there was a small yellow form near her feet.

Rushing down the hill, Ash skidded to a halt next to the girl and checked her. She groaned as his hand felt her forehead and Ash felt a tingling of electricity on his skin. She must have been electrocuted, he realized.

He then turned his attention to the Pokémon, quickly recognizing it as a Pikachu. It had a purple haze around it, and appeared to have similar injuries to Eevee, making Ash wonder if they'd been attacked by the same thing.

The girl gave a groan and Ash moved back over to her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," the girl responded, "I lost control going down this hill. I thought that Pokémon would be able to move, I guess not."

"He's been beaten up and poisoned," Ash said, "We need to get him to a Pokémon Center. Do you think you can move?"

"I think so," the girl stumbled slightly to her feet and walked over, "Oh my gosh," she gasped, catching sight of the Pikachu, "No wonder he couldn't dodge me. Now I feel terrible."

Ash pulled out a Poké ball to capture it but the girl stopped him, "No let me, this is my fault." She pulled a Poké ball of her own out and tapped it against the Pokémon's side, capturing it instantly. "We need to get to Viridian City," she said definitevly.

"What about your bike?" Ash asked, looking at the charred remains of the bicycle.

She looked sadly at her bike but said, "I'll have to leave it. It'll slow me down and this Pikachu needs attention right away. Let's go."

They broke into a run, heading for Viridian City. "I'm Ash Ketchum by the way," Ash said, "and this is my Riolu. Who are you?"

"The names Misty," she replied, "Nice to meet you."

It took a good several hours to reach the city, and another half an hour to find the Pokémon Center. However, when they arrived it was to find the Center completely cordoned off by yellow tape. The building itself had a massive hole in the roof, and more rubble around what Ash assumed used to be the front doors.

"Oh no, what happened here?" Misty gasped.

Ash spotted a blue haired woman in a policeman's uniform and walked over to ask. "Excuse me officer, what happened here?" he asked.

The woman turned to him with a raised eyebrow, glancing down at Riolu. After a moment she said, "A group of thieves broke into the Pokémon Center and tried to steal the Pokémon being cared for. A young trainer staying managed to fight them off, but not without damaging the building. Why do you ask? Are you two trainers?"

"Yes ma'am," Ash replied.

The girl said , "I found a heavily injured Pikachu on Route 1 and I captured him to bring him here."

"And I have an Eevee that needs treatment as well," Ash added.

The officer's eyes softened, "Well, I can't let you in until our investigation is done but if you give me the Pokemon and your trainer ID's I'll be happy to bring them to Nurse Joy."

They didn't hesitate to pull out the Poké balls and respective IDs and hand them over. Ash was surprised when he noticed that Misty's was a special Gym badge, made to identify Gym Leaders. It was shaped like a blue teardrop, meaning that she was from the Cerulean City Gym.

"I'll be right back," the officer said.

Ash sat down on the curb, "I can't believe someone would be sick enough to try and steal injured Pokémon," he said.

"It's just despicable," Misty agreed.

Looking up at her Ash said, "So, you're a Gym Leader?"

She stiffened before sighing, "Truthfully I was hoping you wouldn't notice that. Yes I'm one of the Cerulean City Gym Leaders. I left on a quest to become a Water Pokémon Master and I've sworn not to return until I am." She spoke in a tone that clearly stated that this line of conversation was finished.

Ash wisely didn't pursue the subject. He gently rubbed Riolu between his ears, eliciting a happy "Ri!" from the Pokémon.

After about five minutes, the officer returned and handed them back their IDs. "Nurse Joy says she'll have Pikachu and Eevee fixed up in a couple of hours, and I should have this investigation wrapped up by then."

"Oh thank goodness," Misty said with relief.

"Thank you so much Officer Jenny," Ash said gratefully.

"You're welcome kids, good luck on your journeys," Officer Jenny said before returning to her job.

"Bye," Ash and Misty called.

Ash looked around, "I guess we haven't much to do right now. I'm gonna go exploring, would you like to join me?"

She shrugged, "Sure."

They wandered around Viridian City for several hours, stopping at the Pokemart for some supplies, and getting dinner at a restaurant. Eventually, they returned to the Pokémon Center to find that the cops had cleared out and a construction crew of men and Machamp were already hard at work rebuilding the damaged building.

Ash and Misty entered the building and walked up to the desk where a pink haired woman sat typing at a computer.

"Hello," she greeted, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center, how may I help you?"

"I'm the one who found that Pikachu," Misty said, "Is he alright?"

"And what about Eevee?" Ash asked.

"They will both be just fine," she said, "Officer Jenny explained that you found them out on Route 1?"

"That's right," Ash said

She nodded with a sigh, "Those are the fifth Pokémon with those injuries this week. Whatever is attacking Pokémon on Route 1, I'm just glad no trainers have been hurt yet."

"Do you know what it is?" Misty asked worriedly.

"No," Nurse Joy said, "But since all of the Pokémon brought to me are poisoned I would assume it's a poison type. I've already sent a request to the Pokémon League to hire a trainer to find and capture it."

She shook her head, "Anyway I expect Pikachu and Eevee to be fully rested and healed by morning. Are there any more Pokémon you'd like me to examine?"

Misty shook her head, "Mine haven't been in any battles lately."

"Same here," Ash said, "but I think we need a couple of rooms for the night."

"Of course," Nurse Joy replied, producing two room keys and handing them to the two young trainers.

"Thanks Nurse Joy," Misty said.

"Thank you," Ash said.

They left the counter and made their way into the back of the Center where the overnight rooms lay.

"So, where are you heading now?" Ash asked Misty.

"Oh, I don't know," Misty replied, "I'm sort of just wandering."

"Well you're welcome to join me," Ash said a bit impulsively. "I'll be leaving for Pewter City tomorrow," he continued, "I'm planning on taking the Gym Challenge."

Misty raised her eyebrow, considering him for a moment. Then she said shrugged and said, "Sure."

This made Ash smile, inexplicably happy that she'd agreed. "Great, I ah...I guess I'll see you in the morning."

She smiled, "okay. Good night Ash."

"Good night Misty," Ash replied.

* * *

Viridian Forest was a veritable jungle of greenery. A thick canopy cast the trail they were following into shadow making it difficult to see at all times.

"AAAAAAHH!"

Ash sighed for the hundredth time. If he'd known that Misty was a total insectophobe me might have reconsidered asking her come with him. Riolu whined as he shook his head in pain. Even Misty's new Pikachu, who was now riding on her shoulder since he hated Poké balls, was covering his ears.

They all winced as Misty screamed yet again at the sight of a Weedle climbing a tree they were passing.

"Misty please," Ash begged, "Can you stop screaming every two minutes?"

"No!" Misty snapped, "I have bugs! I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I hate 'em!"

Ash sighed, he could only hope they got out of the forest soon.

"AAAAAH!" Misty screamed yet again, "It's a Scyther! Get away!"

Ash perked up, "A Scyther? Those are rare!" He looked around and spotted the Mantis Pokémon crouching in the foliage several yards off the trail.

Grinning he said to Riolu, "let's go buddy!"

"Rio!" He agreed and leapt out to challenge the Scyther.

"Quick Attack, let's go!" Ash ordered.

Riolu broke into a sprint, a white glow enveloping his body as he rushed at the Scyther and slammed hard into it.

"Scy!" it cried out in pain, before reacting and slashing at Riolu with it's scythes.

"Look out!" Ash cried.

Riolu managed to dodge the slice before coming back in with a tackle.

"Force Palm!" Ash ordered.

"Ri!" his Pokémon confirmed before pressing his palm against Scyther's Thorax. There was a flash of light as the attack ignited, a shockwave of force erupting from Riolu's palm and blasting Scyther clear across the clearing.

"Now use Quick Attack again," Ash ordered.

Riolu dashed at Scyther again and crashed into it. It cried out in surprise and pain. "Alright, Poké ball go!" Ash shouted, lobbing the ball at the downed form. It impacted against Scyther's thorax and absorbed the Pokémon in a surge of red light. The Poké ball rocked back and forth as Ash and Riolu watched. Misty was nervously biting her nails and looking around for more bug types.

The Poké ball let out a soft ding to signify a successful capture.

"All right," Ash cheered, running over and picking the Poké ball up. Turning to Riolu he said, "You did awesome buddy, thank you."

"Ri!" he said happily, his tail wagging.

"Alright," Ash said, holding up his new Scyther's Poké ball.

"Wait wait," Misty yelped, "You're not going to let that thing out are you?"

Ash looked at her like she was crazy. "Misty, I'm a Pokémon Trainer. This is my Pokémon, of course I'm going to let it out. How am I expected to train it inside of its Poké ball?"

Misty swallowed, subconsciously grabbing her Pikachu and holding him in her arms. "Oh...okay, I'll just um...wait over here." She backed up a hundred yards and hid behind a tree.

Ash sighed before tossing the Poké ball into the air, "Come on out Scyther!"

The Poké ball soared into the air and burst open, releasing Scyther with a flash of light.

Scyther quickly looked around, taking in the situation. It quickly realized that it had lost and sighed.

Ash walked over and knelt so he was eye level with Scyther. "Hi Scyther, I'm your new trainer, Ash. It's my dream to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master. Will you help me? And I can make you the strongest Scyther, or even Scizor ever."

Scyther eyed him for a long minute while Ash waited patiently for his decision. Finally it nodded.

Ash grinned, "Awesome." He pulled out his Pokédex to scan Scyther.

" **Scyther, the Mantis Pokémon. It's blindingly fast speed adds to the sharpness of its twin forearm scythes. The scythes can slice through thick logs in one wicked stroke."**

 _Type: Bug/Flying  
Ability: Technician  
Gender: Male  
Moves: Slash, Swords Dance, Quick Attack, Leer._

"AAAAAAAAHH!"

Ash groaned. A Caterpie had crawled up Misty's leg.

* * *

 **And thus begins the rewrite of The Chosen One's Journey.**

 **In this story, Ash's growth will be a bit slower, he won't be so over-powered and he wont' catch so many Pokemon right off the bat. There are a lot of things that I regret doing in The Chosen One's Journey, and this story is an attempt to fix them.**

 **I already have the first twelve chapters written, all the way to the beginning of the Indigo League, and I will be publishing them once a week until I am caught up with myself. I can only hope that this version will be come as popular as the original. If for some reason this story flops entirely I will give it up and return to the Chosen One's Journey and attempt to continue it.**

 **Another major difference is that I have decided to make this a Pokeshipping fic. I will be putting up a blind poll to decide if I'm going to keep it as a Pokeshipping fic, or return to Rayshipping.**

 **Let me know what you guys think, and I'll be putting up the next chapter next Friday.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	2. Chapter 2

Viridian Forest was quiet vast, ensuring that it was going to take several days for them to traverse it. During their breaks, Ash began to train all of his Pokémon in earnest. He knew that the Pewter Gym specialized in Rock Types so he was teaching Eevee to use Iron Tail. Riolu already had an advantage since he was a fighting type, but he was still on the weaker side since he was so young.

Around noon on the second day Ash glanced at his watch and said, "Let's stop for some lunch, I think I can see a clearing up ahead."

"Okay," Misty said with a slight stutter in her voice. She'd stopped screaming near dusk the previous days, but her nerves were becoming more frayed by the hour.

As Ash was getting out a couple of sandwiches and the Pokémon food, Misty suddenly let out a scream, but there was something different about this time. Spinning around, Ash saw that she was being attack by a wild Pidgeotto.

Without sparing a second thought, Ash commanded, "Riolu use Force Palm!"

Riolu leapt from Ash's side and slammed his palm into the Pidgeotto's side and ignited the attack. Pidgeotto was blasted away with a squawk of surprise.

"Now use Quick Attack," Ash ordered. Riolu rushed at Pidgeotto and rammed into it. It squawked again before retaliating with an Aerial Ace attack. Ash's eyes widened as he watched Bird Pokemon charge the attack and quickly shouted, "use Endure!" He knew that there was no way to dodge an Aerial Ace, but with Endure he knew that Riolu would at least survive it.

Riolu concentrated and a faint red outline enveloped his body. Pidgeotto slammed into him and he cried out in pain even as he was thrown back.

"Use Force Palm again!" Ash ordered.

Gritting his teeth, Riolu got back to his feet and leapt at Pidgeotto, igniting his palm against its chest for the second time. Pidgeotto squawked painfully and fell to the ground with a crash. A second later, a Poké Ball hit the Pokémon's side and it was absorbed into the ball. The red and white sphere rocked back and forth once…twice…three times before it dinged a successful capture. "Yes!" Ash said in triumph.

He ran over to pick up the Poké ball before turning his attention to Misty. "Are you ok Misty?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm fine, I guess I owe you one now," she joked.

Ash smiled before pulling a potion out of his bag. He first healed Riolu before releasing his new Pidgeotto so that he could heal it as well.

Pidgeotto appeared with a caw before his feet and looked warily up at him. He knelt down to treat its injuries and it let him, wincing occasionally from the potion.

Once he was finished, Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned his new Pokémon.

" **Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon and the evolved form of Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey."**

 _Type: Normal/Flying  
Ability: Keen Eye  
Gender: Female  
Moves: Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, and Wing Attack._

Ash whistled then bent down on his knees, "Hi Pidgeotto, my name's Ash and I'm training to be a Pokémon master. If I'm going to succeed then I'm going to need the best of the best by my side, do you think you're up for it?"

The Bird Pokémon stared at him for a minute before her beak stretched into its best smirk and she nodded. "Great to have you on board," Ash said with a smile.

* * *

As they were walking, Misty let out a shriek. Having gotten used to Misty's frantic yelling, Ash calmly turned in the redhead's direction to see a Weedle trying to climb up her leg.

"You know," Ash said as he grabbed the bug and deposited it on a nearby tree, "I think the bugs sense your fear and are trying to make you feel better about them."

Misty humphed, "Well I wish they wouldn't," she said angrily.

Suddenly there was a rustling from the grass near them. With a shout, a kid wearing a Samurai outfit and wielding a sharp looking Katana charged out of the bush's. Swinging the sword, he aimed to point it directly in Ash's face.

Riolu gave a growl and leapt into the air as his tail took a metallic shine, he swung his tail around and slammed it into the sword. The Katana went spinning away and found itself embedded in a tree while the Samurai kid was spun around by the momentum and landed on his but.

Ash looked surprised down at Riolu, who was looking smugly up at him. He hadn't realized that the little Pokémon was paying so much attention to his lessons with Eevee.

Deciding to think about it later Ash turned his attention back to the kid and demanded, "Who are you?"

Raising his hands in a placating gesture, "Please, this is all a misunderstanding, I never meant to hurt anyone. I am called Samurai and I am a Pokémon trainer."

"If that's true then what were you doing swinging that damn sword at me?" Ash asked angrily.

"It is merely a test to see if you are worthy trainer, I had no intention to harm you," Samurai said.

"That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard," Misty said.

The Samurai kid sweat dropped, hoping to change the subject, he asked, "Are one of you perhaps from the town of Pallet?"

Looking taken aback, Ash said, "I'm from Pallet Town."

Samurai stood up with a triumphant expression on his face. Pointing at Ash, Samurai said, "Three trainers from Pallet Town have already passed through this forest and I have battled each of them. The battles were glorious even though I lost to all of them. I wish to challenge you to a battle in hopes of regaining my honor."

Ash perked up at this; his first trainer battle. "I accept, what are the conditions?" he asked.

"It will be a two-on-two battle with no substitutions," Samurai said.

"Fine," Ash replied.

"Pinsir, into battle!" Samurai shouted. A large Pinsir appeared out of the Poké Ball that Samurai threw and snapped its horns menacingly.

Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned Pinsir.

" **Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokémon. Pinsir is astoundingly strong. It can grip a foe weighing twice its weight in its horns and easily lift it. This Pokémon's movements turn sluggish in cold places."**

 _'Hmm, a bug type,'_ Ash thought, _'This will be perfect for Pidgeotto.'_

Grabbing a Poké ball from his belt, Ash threw it saying, "Pidgeotto, to the battlefront!" The Bird Pokémon appeared in a flash of light, ready for action.

"Now Pinsir, use Bind!" Samurai commanded. Pinsir lowered its horns and charged Pidgeotto, intending to grab the bird and crush it.

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" the Bird Pokémon bolted out of the Pinsir's path in a streak of light. "Now come around and use Wing Attack!" Pidgeotto's wings started glowing bright white as she circled the clearing and aimed at Pinsir's back.

"Pinsir, behind you!" Samurai shouted. The Stag Beetle Pokémon turned around just in time to see a flash of brown as Pidgeotto slammed her wing into it. Pinsir crashed down to the ground from the impact while Pidgeotto landed in front of Ash.

"Ah! Pinsir get up," Samurai encouraged.

Seeing Pinsir stagger back to its feet, Ash called out, "Now finish it with Gust!" Pidgeotto started flapping her wings and blades of energy went sailing at Pinsir, whipping up powerful winds around them. The attack slammed into Pinsir, sending it flying across the clearing.

When Pinsir landed, there were swirls in its eyes, signifying its defeat. "Pinsir return," Samurai returned his Pokémon then grabbed his second Poké Ball. "Go Metapod!" with a flash the Cocoon Pokémon appeared.

Ash raised his eyebrows incredulously.

"Metapod use Hard…" Samurai began.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted.

Before Metapod could even register its trainer's command; Pidgeotto slammed into it, sending it across the field. Since Metapod already have a high defense it survived the attack, but Ash wasn't giving up.

"Alright Pidgeotto, finish this with Aerial Ace, let's go!" Ash said.

Pidgeotto performed the attack flawlessly, slamming hard into Metapod and sending it flying into a nearby tree, unconscious.

"Awesome job Pidgeotto, that Aerial Ace was perfect," Ash congratulated.

"Geotto!" she cried in happiness.

Wordlessly, Samurai returned Metapod. Turning to Ash, he said, "You are truly a powerful trainer, thank you for the battle."

"Yeah I had fun," Ash replied, "Let's have a rematch next time we meet."

"Very well, I wish you good luck on your journey," Samurai said.

He was about to turn around when Misty interrupted, "Hey do you know how far away we are from Pewter City?"

Samurai nodded, "Approximately an hour's journey in that direction," He said pointing in the direction that they were heading.

"Thanks," Misty replied.

* * *

Upon entering Pewter City, they went directly to the Pokémon center. After dropping his Pokémon with Nurse Joy, Ash went around and talked with different trainers to see what they knew about the Gym Leader.

"So what did you find out?" Misty asked when he walked back to her.

"Apparently the leader's name is Brock. He usually holds 2-on-2 battles and always saves his Onix for last," Ash said.

"So he's a Rock Type trainer?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's why I had Eevee learn Iron Tail and Pidgeotto learn Steel Wing," Ash explained, "Those Steel Type attacks would be extremely effective against Brock's Rock Types. Also, he will probably underestimate me if I use a Pokémon with a type disadvantage."

"Well good luck, I'll be watching so you'd better not disappoint me," Misty said with a grin.

"I won't," Ash promised as the Pokémon center chime went off, signaling that his Pokémon were healed.

Once Ash collected his Poké Balls he headed directly to the Pewter Gym with Misty at his side. Upon arrival at the Stone building, Ash confidently pushed the doors open and walked in.

The inside of the Gym was pitch black, but Ash could was sure there was someone waiting for him. This was confirmed when a voice rang out, "Who goes there?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I challenge you to a battle!" Ash called back.

"Very well, I accept your challenge," the voice replied. Suddenly, the entire gym lit up and a rocky battlefield started rolling onto the floor. On the other side of the field, a teenager was sitting cross-legged against the wall.

When the field was completely formed, a Judge walked onto the field to announce the rules. "This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle between the challenger Ash of Pallet Town, and the Pewter City Gym Leader Brock. Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions."

"Good luck Ash," Misty said as she walked over to the sidelines.

Brock stood up, took his first Poké Ball, and threw it onto the field. "Geodude, I choose you!" he called.

Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned Geodude.

" **Geodude, the Rock Pokémon. Geodude has incredibly high defensive power, making it virtually resistant to any physical attacks."**

Putting his Pokédex away, Ash pulled out his own Poké Ball. "All right Pidgeotto, to the battlefront!" Ash threw the ball and Pidgeotto appeared with a cry, "Pidgeooo!"

Brock raised his eyebrows, "You're using a Flying Type against my Rock Type? You don't stand a chance."

Pidgeotto narrowed her eyes, "Pidgeo pidgeotto!" she cried angrily.

"Don't worry Pidgeotto," Ash said quietly, "He'll regret underestimating us."

The judge raised his flags, "The challenger has the first move. Ready, Begin!"

"Ok Pidgeotto, let's start off with Gust!" Ash called. Pidgeotto lifted off and started flapping her wings hard. Blades of energy started swirling a powerful wind inside of the field, causing some damage to Geodude.

"Hold strong Geodude, when the attack ends use Rock Throw!" Brock called. Geodude braced itself against the wind and waited for the Gust Attack to end. When the wind died down, Geodude shoved its hands into the ground and brought up several large rocks and started launching them at Pidgeotto.

"Dodge them!" Ash called. Pidgeotto started flying all over the field, swerving in and around the flying rocks. Suddenly, one of the rocks clipped her wing and Pidgeotto went down with a cry of pain.

"Great job Geodude!" Brock said, "Now finish it with Roll Out!" Geodude tucked its arms to its body and started rolling towards the downed Pidgeotto at high speed.

"Quick Pidgeotto, get up and use Steel Wing to defend yourself!" Ash yelled. Pidgeotto managed to stagger back to her feet and brought her wings out in front of her to shield her body. The wings then gained a metallic glow as they turned into hard steel.

Geodude slammed into the steel hard wings and pushed Pidgeotto back a foot before coming to a stop. "Now use Gust to blow it away!" Ash ordered. Pidgeotto's wings returned to normal as she brought them back behind her. With a single powerful flap a huge gust of wind blasted Geodude away.

"Now combine Aerial Ace with Steel Wing and bring it on home!" Ash shouted. Pidgeotto lifted off and performed a backflip in the air as blades of white energy surrounded her. At the same time, her outstretched wings regained their metallic glow. A foot away from Geodude, Pidgeotto vanished before slamming into the Rock Pokémon. Geodude was sent flying across the gym and landed in a cloud of dust.

"Geodude is unable to battle, Pidgeotto wins," the Judge announced.

Brock was shocked, _'He beat me with a Flying Type, I had better not underestimate him anymore,'_ he thought to himself as he recalled his Geodude.

"You've put up a very good battle Ash, but you won't be able to beat my last Pokémon, Go Onix!" Brock threw his Poké Ball onto the field and unleashed his giant Rock Snake Pokémon.

Ash stared at the large Pokémon as he took out his Pokédex.

 **Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon. It tunnels through the ground which shakes when it raises its thunderous roar. It can move through the ground at fifty miles per hour.**

"Pidgeotto return," Ash recalled her. Looking down at Riolu he said, "Let's go buddy."

"Ri!" Riolu said happily, leaping out and ready to battle.

Brock looked at Riolu in surprise before he controlled his expression and called, "Onix use Bind!"

Onix roared and lashed out at Riolu, intending to wrap itself around the small fighting type.

"Dodge and use Force Palm!" Ash ordered.

Riolu leapt away from Onix, causing the massive Pokémon to slam into the ground. Before it could recover Riolu landed on Onix's head and brought his glowing palm down. An explosion rocked the arena and Onix reared back in pain.

"No Onix!" Brock yelled in shock, "Quick use Rock Throw!"

Onix's tail started glowing and he whipped it towards Riolu. He tried to dodge, but was too slow and yelped as one of the stones clipped his leg. "Ri!" he shouted in pain.

"Now use Bind!"

Onix quickly wrapped itself around Riolu and squeezed hard.

"Rioluuu!" he cried.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted with worry, "Try and use Force Palm!"

Riolu struggled in Onix's grip. After a moment he succeeded in freeing his arm and hit Onix with a Force Palm. Onix roared in pain, but didn't release Riolu.

"Again!" Ash ordered. Riolu hit Onix again, and this time Onix loosened his hold enough for Riolu to wriggle free.

Grinning Ash shouted, "Now use Iron Tail!"

Riolu leapt into the air with his tail taking on a silver sheen. With a spin, he brought his tail down on the fin atop Onix's head. There was a crack as the attack connected and Onix bellowed in pain before collapsing heavily on the ground.

"Onix is unable to battle, Riolu wins," the judge announced.

Brock stared at the scene in shock. After a moment he pulled out a Poké ball and recalled Onix. "You have beaten me Ash, congratulations," Brock said with a small smile.

Riolu came running up and jumped into Ash's arms, "Ri riolu rio!" he said happily.

Ash grinned and looked up at Brock who'd walked over to them. "Thank you for a great match," he said.

"Thank you Ash," Brock said. The Gym leader started digging through his pocket before pulling out a simple gray octagon and offering it to Ash, "In recognition of defeating me, I give you the Boulder Badge."

"Thank you," Ash said, taking the badge.

Just then Misty arrived, "Great job Ash, that was a really good battle," she congratulated. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed, waving his hand from Misty's shoulder.

"Hey thanks Misty, thanks Pikachu," Ash replied, "Well, let's go to the Pokémon center, I need to heal Riolu."

"Hey do you mind if I come with you?" Brock asked, "My Pokémon need healing after the beating you just gave them."

"Sure, no problem," Ash said. Together the three of them left the gym and proceeded to make their way through the city towards the Pokémon Center.

As they walked, Ash decided to ask a question, "So Brock, do you enjoy being a Gym Leader?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it's great," Brock said, but Ash could tell he was leaving something out. Finally after a moment of silence, Brock sighed and continued, "To tell you the truth, what I really want to do is become the greatest Pokémon breeder in the world."

"So what's stopping you?" Misty asked.

Brock gave a great sigh, "Well you see, I have eight younger brothers and sisters that I'm taking care of at home. My parents are both out of town and I can't just leave them behind."

"Wow that's a bummer," Misty commented.

"Yeah," Ash said, "well if you ever get the chance to travel, you're welcome to join us."

They had just arrived at the Pokémon center and Brock and Ash walked up to the counter. After dropping of their tired Pokémon, Brock turned to Ash.

"Thanks for the offer Ash, I might just take you up on that," the older boy said, "Good luck on the rest of your journey."

"Thanks Brock," Ash replied, "Good luck with your dream too."

Once the gym leader had left, Ash walked over to Misty. She was hanging out in the trainer's lounge, "So I was thinking of heading over to Cerulean City next." He said to her.

Misty stiffened upon hearing about her home city, "Why would you want to go there?" she asked.

"Well I need to challenge the Gym," Ash replied, "So will you accept my challenge?"

Misty's eye's snapped up to Ash and she looked startled, "Challenge?"

"Yeah, you're one of the Gym Leaders right?" Ash said, "Well I want to battle against you so will you accept my Challenge?"

"Challenge…" Misty mused as something came to her, "badge…yes!" Misty jumped up and began rummaging through her bag while Ash watched her in confusion.

"Ah hah!" Misty said triumphantly as she pulled a blue teardrop shaped object from her bag. Turning to Ash, she said, "I always carry a few spare badges with me when I travel, just in case."

"Ok cool," Ash said, his voice laced with confusion, "but what does that have to do with my gym challenge?"

"I really don't want to go back to Cerulean City and deal with my sister's right now," she explained, "So here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

The next morning, Ash and Misty were making their way out of Pewter City when they heard a voice cry out from behind them.

"Hey Ash wait up!" the voice called.

Turning, Ash saw Brock running after them, a large backpack on his shoulders. When he caught up with them, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, panting hard. After a minute, he said, "It turns out that my dad had been in town for a week now, trying to gather the courage to come and see me. He heard our conversation yesterday and finally came home to take over the gym so that I could travel."

"That's great Brock," Ash said with enthusiasm, "so are you going to join us?"

"Yeah if you don't mind," Brock replied.

"Not at all," Ash said.

"So where are we heading?" Brock asked as they continued their trek.

"Vermilion City," Ash replied.

"Vermillion? Why not Cerulean City?" Brock asked, "It's much closer and you'll need to get a badge there to compete in the Kanto League."

"Don't worry," Ash said, glancing at Misty, "We've got that covered."

-break-

As the sun began to set, the group stopped to make camp. Brock offered to cook dinner, saying that he was a chef, so Ash and Misty worked together to set up the rest of camp.

After dinner was finished, Ash and Riolu walked a few yards away from camp and sat down cross-legged together. With Riolu's help, Ash was ready to begin learning how to use his aura.

All Riolu instinctively knew how to access their aura and perform basic things with it, such as healing. Now Riolu took Ash's hands and closed his eyes. The appendages on his face started to levitate as he accessed his own aura.

Ash's eyes widened as he felt a trickle of energy start to make it's way up his own arms and into his body. In his own core, he could feel another well of energy start turning in reaction. Ash closed his eyes and focused solely on that energy, trying to bring it to the surface like Riolu did.

It took several tries, but eventually he was able to control the aura. It took a surprising amount of effort, but he was able to bring the aura to the surface of his skin. He opened his eyes and looked at his hands in awe as they glowed brightly with blue energy.

Riolu was grinning at him.

"I did it!" Ash cheered happily. His concentration broken, the blue glow faded and Ash sighed. He suddenly became aware of a wave of exhaustion that passed through his body. "Wow that's tiring," he said.

Riolu nodded in agreement, looking tired himself.

Smiling Ash said, "That's enough for today buddy, we'll try again tomorrow."

"Riolu," the Pokémon nodded in agreement.

* * *

It had been two days since they'd left Pewter City. Instead of going through Mt. Moon to Cerulean City, they'd bypassed it entirely to take a more direct route to Vermillion. As they'd passed by the entrance to Mt. Moon however, Brock had noticed a confused looking Zubat fluttering in the open sky and caught it.

Now however, they were stopping for a spot of lunch at the base of a large waterfall.

"Oh wow!" Misty gushed, "Look at the beautiful waterfall."

"Yeah!" Brock agreed, "I wonder if anybody knows about this place?"

"I doubt it," Ash said smiling at the purity of the area. Movement drew his attention and his eyes lit up at the small pokémon that was drinking from the pool at the base of the waterfall.

"Hey look, it's an Oddish!" he said.

Brock and Misty both looked and spotted the small Pokémon. The moment Misty laid eyes on it; she let out a small squeal, "Oh Cutie! I'm gonna catch it!" she decided and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Why?" Ash interrupted before she could throw the ball. "Oddish are Grass Types, not Water Types."

That stopped Misty short, "Oh, I guess I just assumed it was a Water Type since it's blue and right next to the water." She sighed as she put her Poké Ball back away. They watched as the Oddish noticed them and ran off.

"Don't worry about it Misty," Brock said, "It's an easy mistake to make. So what do you guys think of stopping here for lunch today?"

"That sounds like a great idea Brock," Misty said.

"Ash, can you go collect some wood for a fire?" Brock asked.

"No problem," he replied. Leaving Brock and Misty to set up camp, Ash pushed into the woods surrounding the pool and went searching for some dried up wood.

After fifteen minutes of searching, he finally found a dead tree that had fallen over. Grabbing a Poké ball he released Scyther, "Okay Scyther, use your Slash attack to lop off some of those larger branches and cut them down to smaller pieces." The bug nodded and got to work.

While Scyther was working, Ash was breaking off some smaller branches that could be used as kindling. Suddenly, he heard a rustling from a nearby bush. Turning, Ash watched as a small blue-green Pokémon came bursting out of the bush and started glaring and growling at him.

"A Bulbasaur?" Ash said in surprise, "Cool!" He noticed the Pokémon's stance and said, "Hey sorry if we're in your territory. We're just getting some firewood then we'll leave you alone. I promise."

Bulbasaur was thoroughly confused now. He had just leapt out into the clearing, growling at the human intruder. He was expecting the human to either run or attack him, instead the human did seem to consider him a threat, but wasn't fighting him either. Bulbasaur glanced over at the Scyther, he knew he'd have a large disadvantage against a bug and flying type but the human just had it cutting up a dead tree.

Focusing back on the human, Bulbasaur met his eyes and tried to understand what was happening. As he looked into the human's eyes, he saw an oddly familiar spark in them, and it made something in his mind click.

Long ago, he had promised himself to never trust a human, apart from Melanie, ever again. But there was something in this human's eyes that made him want to give him a chance.

Ash watched as the Bulbasaur changed its stance. At first it was trying to look intimidating, as if to scare him off. Now, Bulbasaur's posture was one of challenge, he was challenging Ash to try and catch him.

Ash blinked in surprise, "You want to fight me?"

"Saur!" the Pokémon replied with a nod.

"Alright," Ash said with a smile. He reached for one of his Poké Balls and threw it, "Pidgeotto, to the battlefront!" The Bird Pokémon appeared with a cry and she ruffled her feathers as she got ready for battle.

Bulbasaur was the first to attack, launching a Razor Leaf at Pidgeotto. The attack was so fast that Ash had no time to react and Pidgeotto was hit. Multiple razor sharp leaves were suddenly assaulting the Bird Pokémon.

"Quick, Double Team!" Ash shouted. Pidgeotto flashed before multiple copies of the Flying type appeared all over the clearing. "Now use Aerial Ace!" Ash called. Each of the duplicates leapt into the air and aimed for Bulbasaur as white blades of energy surrounded them.

Bulbasaur had no chance as he was struck by each of the copies, until the real one connected and launched the Seed Pokémon across the clearing. Ash quickly threw an empty Poké Ball at the downed Bulbasaur. The red and white sphere connected against the Pokémon side and Bulbasaur vanished in a flash of red light. The Poké Ball started rocking back and forth as Bulbasaur tried to break free.

After several seconds, the Poké Ball continued rocking until it settled and let out a loud ding, signifying a successful capture. Ash blinked in surprise, he had been expecting the Bulbasaur to break out with how long it was taking.

Returning Pidgeotto with a quick thanks, Ash picked up the Poké ball. He dug into his backpack for some potions and released the Poké ball's new occupant.

Upon release, Bulbasaur turned a curious and very wary gaze at his new trainer. Ash noticed this and said nothing as he showed the super potion to the wary Pokémon. Bulbasaur's eyes widened in recognition and astonishment, he nodded his head and Ash started healing him of his recent injuries. It winced several times as the potion stung but didn't cry out.

"There, all better," Ash said with a smile.

"Scyther."

Ash turned to see his Scyther walking over with a pile of wood in it's arms. "Thanks buddy," he said grabbing his share of the wood. He was surprised when Bulbasaur extended his own Vine Whip and grabbed up some of the wood himself. Smiling Ash said, "Thank you Bulbasaur."

"Bulba," he said.

* * *

"Hey guys I'm back!" Ash called as he stumbled out of the woods, his arms laden with wood.

"Good," Brock said, "Now I can get this fire started and cook up some of my famous stew."

"What took you so long?" Misty asked while Ash dumped the wood he was carrying near the fire pit. Then she noticed the Pokémon that was following him, "Where did that Bulbasaur come from?"

Brock looked up from where he was setting up the wood for a fire, "Is he yours," he asked.

"Yeah, I just caught him while I was out collecting firewood," Ash explained, "He just came out of the bushes and challenged me, that's why I was so late."

"No harm done," Brock said, "Congrats on the capture."

"Thanks Brock," Ash said, "Hey that reminds me, I need to scan Bulbasaur with my Pokédex."

Ash quickly pulled his Pokédex from his pocket and pointed it at Bulbasaur.

" **Bulbasaur the Seed Pokémon, it bears the seed of a plant on its back from birth. The seed slowly develops. Researchers are unsure whether to classify Bulbasaur as a plant or animal. Bulbasaur are extremely calm and are difficult to capture in the wild."**

 _Type: Grass/Poison  
Ability: Overgrow  
Gender: Male  
Moveset: Tackle, Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Poison Powder_

As Ash was putting his Pokédex away, Brock called that lunch was ready. Smiling, Ash released all of his Pokémon so that he could eat their fill, they had all come to love Brock's cooking.

Once lunch was over and Bulbasaur was introduced to the gym leader's famous cooking, said Pokémon grabbed Ash's wrist with his vine and started pulling him along deeper into the forest. Curious, Ash and his friends followed.

Bulbasaur lead them across a large bridge, passed several cleverly concealed traps, and into a small hidden village run by a young woman named Melanie. She had been shocked when Bulbasaur came running into the village claiming that he'd been captured by a trainer.

Once Ash had explained the situation to her, she calmed down and said her goodbye to Bulbasaur. She was actually very pleased that Bulbasaur had found a trainer he could trust. She could tell that Ash would never abandon Bulbasaur like his previous trainer did.

After talking to Ash in private and thanking him for giving Bulbasaur a new life away from the Village, Melanie gave the trio a tour of her Village and explained what its purpose was.

"Wow Melanie, this place you have here is amazing," Brock gushed.

"Why thank you Brock," Melanie replied to the love struck breeder.

The trio ended up spending the entire afternoon in the village, helping Melanie tend to the Pokémon. By they time they realized what time it was, the sun was beginning to set and Melanie offered for them to spend the night.

"That would be great," Misty exclaimed, "Thanks Melanie."

"Oh Melanie," Brock gushed, "Your incredible generosity is only eclipsed by your exquisite beauty. I would be delighted beyond belief to spend the night basking in your ACK!" Before Brock could say anymore, Misty came up behind and yanked his ear.

"And I would be delighted to spend the night with you tied to a rock," she shouted as she dragged the Pokémon Breeder's sorry ass away.

"Umm, wow," Ash said, completely nonplussed by what had just happened, Pikachu was giggling from Misty's shoulder at Brock's antics, "anyway, thanks for letting us stay the night Melanie, would you mind if we let out our Pokémon?"

"Oh sure," Melanie said, "The more the merrier."

"Great," Ash said as he reached for his three remaining Poké Balls and tossed them into the air, "Come on out everybody!" Out of the four balls burst his Eevee, Pidgeotto, and Scyther

"Oh goodness, its adorable!" she gushed as she bent down to pick up Eevee.

While a giggling Melanie nuzzled a squealing Eevee, Ash introduced Bulbasaur to the rest of the team. Brock and Misty returned from whatever they were doing, from the chastised look on Brock's face (not to mention the lump on his forehead) and the triumphant one on Misty's it was pretty easy to tell, they released their Pokémon as well and started getting settled for the night.

They next morning, Melanie bade them goodbye and made Ash promise that he would always take good care of Bulbasaur. After getting some directions, the trio were off, back on track for Vermillion City.

* * *

"Your doing great Riolu," Ash was saying one early morning as they worked their way back to camp, "I'm sure you'll have it perfected by the time we reach the gym."

"Ri, riolu!" Riolu smirked.

It had been several days since Ash had capture Bulbasaur. He and his friends were traveling on Route 24, and according to Brock were scheduled to run into a Pokémon center fairly soon.

It was the middle of the day and they'd stopped for some lunch. Ash and Riolu had separated from the group to do some special training and they were now heading back. They were only five minutes away from camp when Riolu suddenly yelped and ran off to the side. "Riolu wait," Ash said, running after him.

After five minutes of dodging trees and leaping over bushes, Ash and Riolu stopped at the edge of a clearing to a horrible sight. In the middle of the clearing stood a trainer. He had blue hair with sunglasses perched on his forehead. He wore a pink collared shirt with a leather vest and a red bandana around his neck. But that wasn't the horrifying part.

On the ground in front of the trainer, lay a Charmander. It looked horrible, there were cuts and bruises all over its body, it was sporting a black eye, and worst of all, its tail flame was incredibly small.

"…the most pathetic excuse for a Pokémon I have ever seen," the kid was yelling at the whimpering Charmander. "How can you even call yourself a fire type when you can't even beat a Bellsprout. That's it, from now on you're dead to me."

Ash and Riolu watched in horror as the kid took out a Poké Ball, dropped it, and smashed it underfoot. He then stalked off, leaving a broken and bleeding Charmander to fend for itself.

The moment the kid was out of sight, Ash rushed in and examined the Charmander. "It's ok, you're going to be alright," Ash soothed. He reached for his pack, only to start swearing as he realized that he had left it at camp.

Grabbing Pidgeotto's Poké ball he tossed it into the air. "Pidgeotto, I need you to go back to camp and get my backpack."

"Pidgeotto!" she cawed before taking off

Ash returned his attention to Charmander. It was eyeing him warily and whimpering in fear and pain. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Ash said, "I'm going to take you to the Pokémon Center and get you healed up."

Charmander seemed to relax a little but he was still in deep pain. Ash gently laid his hand on Charmander's side and started using aura to heal him. A moment later Riolu placed his own hand atop his and began to help. All three of them glowed bright blue for several moments before they had to stop.

"There now," Ash said tiredly, "How are you feeling?"

"Char," Charmander replied gratefully.

"That's good," Ash panted, he was feeling like he was about to pass out himself.

Ash smiled at his partner, "Thanks Riolu, that really helped," he said.

"Ri ri," the Emanation Pokémon replied.

"Pidgeoooo!" a voice cried from above.

Ash looked up to see Pidgeotto swooping down, his backpack gripped in her claws. She dropped the pack and Ash snatched it out of the air, immediately diving his hand in, searching for a Hyper Potion he had gotten for emergencies.

"Ok Charmander, this is going to sting, but it will make you feel better," Ash warned.

"Char," Charmander conceded with a nod.

Ash got to work, ripping off the one time use seal and spraying each of the multiple wounds. Charmander winced with each application, but kept from crying out. Ash felt a sting of pride at the little trooper.

Once Ash finished, he helped Charmander sit up, "You're doing great Charmander. I've healed most of the external wounds, but we still need to get you to a Pokémon center to make sure I haven't missed anything and restore your energy."

"Hey Ash, what's going on?" a familiar deep voice shouted from behind. Ash turned to see Brock and Misty running up.

"Great timing Brock," Ash said, "We need to get this Charmander to a Pokémon Center right now, I can explain what happened on the way."

Brock knelt down to examine Charmander. He spotted the Hyper Potion and frowned. "I don't like these bruises on his chest. A Hyper Potion should have healed those instantly, unless there are internal injuries."

Ash sighed, "I was afraid of that." Turning back to Charmander he said, "I'm going to need to capture you to take you to Nurse Joy. It's too dangerous to move you now."

"Char," the pokémon weakly agreed.

Ash pulled out a fresh Poké Ball and tapped Charmander on the head and he disappeared in a flash. The Poké Ball dinged an instant capture. "Ok guys, let's go," Ash said as he shouldered his backpack.

* * *

It was nearly dark when they made it to the Pokémon center.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash yelled as he ran into the Pokémon Center.

"Oh my, what is it?" Nurse Joy asked.

"I found this Charmander in the woods, it's badly injured," Ash explained, holding up his Poké Ball, "I've already used a Hyper Potion but he is still hurt."

"Oh dear," she said, grabbing the Poké Ball, "Chansey, I need a stretcher for a medium sized Fire Type." She called and a large Pink Chansey was there a moment later, pushing a bed with fireproof lining.

Nurse Joy released Charmander onto the bed and gasped the moment she saw Charmander. Without wasting a second, she pushed the trolley into the surgery room and the needle symbol above the door lit up.

"Well," Ash said, "nothing to do but wait."

* * *

An hour later, a tired but pleased Nurse Joy came out of the operation room. Ash stood up the moment he saw her and hurried over. "How's Charmander?"

"He's doing well," she replied, "he was in critical condition when you brought him in. You probably saved his life with the Hyper Potion. He will make a full recovery by tomorrow, but no battling for a week. Now, care to tell me how he came to be in that condition?"

Ash took deep breath and nodded. He told her everything he saw the other trainer do to Charmander, which unfortunately wasn't much. When he finished, she gave a resigned sigh, surprising Ash.

"I was afraid of this," she said, "the trainer you described sounds a lot like Damian. You wouldn't believe how many stories I've heard about how he treats Pokémon, not to mention how many Pokémon with injuries similar to Charmander I've healed. Unfortunately, as Damian destroys his Poké Balls to release Pokémon, there is no proof that any of the Pokémon ever belongs to him so we can't press charges."

"That's just terrible!" Misty gasped.

"Isn't there something that can be done?" Brock asked.

"No," the nurse replied, "Without physical proof, Officer Jenny can't do a thing."

At the moment, Ash could care less what happened with this kid, he just wanted to see how Charmander was doing. "Nurse Joy?" he asked, "Is it alright if I see Charmander?"

"Sure," she agreed and led him to the recovering room Charmander was in, leaving Brock and Misty in the main room. "He's asleep and recovering but should wake up soon."

"Thanks Nurse Joy," Ash said as he took a seat next to the bed. She nodded and stepped out.

Ash sighed as he looked down at Charmander. He was covered in bandages; the largest of which covered a good portion of his chest. "Hey buddy," Ash said as he started petting Charmander. "How are you feeling?" he asked, not expecting an answer.

"Char," came a tired reply, slightly startling Ash.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were awake," Ash said.

The Pokémon gave another weak reply and Ash chuckled.

"I know I asked you before I captured you, but things were a bit hectic then so I thought I would ask again. Do you still want to be my Pokémon and join me on my journey to become a Pokémon Master?" Ash asked

Charmander gave Ash a surprised look, then nodded his head vigorously, then he slumped back on the pillow, moaning as the pain suddenly caught up with him.

"Whoa, easy there Charmander, I get it," Ash said with a laugh, "Don't hurt yourself or Nurse Joy'll ring my neck."

Charmander smiled at the thought and started giggling.

* * *

 **Thank you everyone for all of the reviews, they've been really helpful. In honor of all of the great support, I have decided to publish Chapter 2 now, and Chapter 3 will be published next friday.**

 **I had honestly forgotten how many people wanted Rayshipping, but suffice it to say that I have been reminded quite thoroughly. The results of the poll and easily 90% of the reviews and PM's I received begging me to return to Cynthia has convinced me. By last night nearly two hundred people had voted in favor of Cynthia while only 40 in favor of Misty. As I close down the poll, the current tally is 214 to 55 in Cynthia's favor.**

 **However over the past day I arrived at a different idea for a shipping, that of Annabel, who's psychic talents would be an interesting compliment to Ash's aura. Again, I will let you guys decide, so please if you'd be so kind as to vote in my new poll?**

 **Also, I have officially decided that I will** **not** **be accepting** **any** **OC's. If I write any OC's they will come from my imagination or not at all...sorry.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright Charmander, your doing great. Keep it up!" Ash stood in the center of a large clearing, surrounded by 6 Pokémon, all training to their limits.

High in the sky Pidgeotto was working on aerial maneuvers. In another part of the clearing stood Riolu and Charmander, each working on a new attack by slashing at the boulders that riddled the area.

Charmander was working on his Metal Claw attack. The little Fire Type has the focus for the attack, but it took too long to build up the power especially since it wasn't even his type.

In the meantime, Riolu was working on a special attack that Ash was hoping to use against a certain gym leader.

Nearest to Ash were Eevee and Bulbasaur having a mock battle with each other. They were also using the battle to perfect their newest moves; Swift and Mega Drain.

Ash gave a smile as he watched Charmander work. The Fire Type had only been on Ash's team for a week and he had taken to Ash's training like a Goldeen to water. In the past week alone, he had learned both Dragon Rage and Dragon Breath (Although Dragon Breath was still a bit shaky) and he had almost doubled his power output. In fact, he was working so hard that Ash was going to have to pull him back so he didn't overexert himself...or get a big head.

Today had been declared an all training day, they wouldn't be moving on in their travels until tomorrow.

Around noontime, Ash called a halt to everyone's training for lunch. They were making their way back to their campsite when the ground underneath them started sagging. Ash looked down with a frown, "What the..." he started. Then suddenly there was a huge crack and the ground fell out from underneath them.

"Aaahh!"

The group of Pokémon and trainer landed on the bottom of the pit with a painful crash.

"Oh man that hurt," Ash said with a groan. Getting up he gazed at the rim of the pit with a frown, "Who dug this hole?"

Suddenly five blue faces poked over the edge of the hole and started laughing. "Squirtle?" Ash said in surprise. Each of the Squirtles were wearing a pair of sunglasses, four of which were round while the fifth was pointed. Ash assumed that this one was the leader.

"Hey what's the big idea?" Ash demanded angrily.

The squirtles just laughed some more.

His eyes narrowed, Ash turned away and knelt next to one of his Pokémon. "Bulbasaur, Riolu and I are going to toss you up there and I want you to use Sleep Powder okay? We'll catch you when you come back down."

"Bulba," he agreed.

Riolu came over and together they wrapped their arms around him. On the count of three, they launched Bulbasaur straight up into the air. Bulbasaur quickly cleared the edge of the hole and released a cloud of Sleep Powder before falling back down into the pit. Ash caught Bulbasaur and gently set him down.

"Awesome job buddy, now let's go see how well it worked," Ash said. He returned Charmander, Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, and Eevee; before he and Riolu started climbing out of the pit. When they reached the top, they hauled themselves out and looked around to find five snoozing Squirtles.

Stepping over to the one with pointed sunglasses Ash hummed to himself. "I guess you're the leader of this little gang," he said aloud.

"You'd guess right," a familiar voice said. Turning, Ash was surprised to see an Officer Jenny walking towards him.

"Officer Jenny?" He asked in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for these five as a matter of fact," she said, gesturing to the five Squirtles, "the Squirtle Squad has been vandalizing and playing pranks on trainers in this area for months now."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Ash asked with a frown, gazing around at all of the Squirtles.

"From what I understand they were all abandoned by their trainers so they are resentful towards humans, "Jenny explained, "I received a tip that they were in this area and arrived just as your Sleep Powder knocked them out."

Ash looked sadly down at the Squirtle. His resolve hardened and he looked up at Officer Jenny, "Would it be alright if I captured this Squirtle? I'd like the chance to help him."

Jenny shrugged, "Legally I can't stop you; and since nothing he did was under your care, his slate would be essentially 'wiped clean.' Just remember that you will be responsible for anything he does while he's your Pokémon."

Grinning Ash said, "Thank you Officer, I will." He pulled out a Poké ball tapped it against Squirtle's shell and watched as the Pokémon was sucked in. The Poké ball rocked only once before Squirtle was captured.

"Good luck young man," Jenny said as she pulled out four Police Balls. These were special in that they could capture any Pokémon, even those that were already captured, and were instantly transported to the Officer's headquarters. Once she caught the four Squirtle, she gave Ash a salute and left.

Ash looked at his new Poké ball and sighed. He had his work cut out for him, maybe Bulbasaur would be willing to help. It was then that he noticed something peculiar.

Squirtle was his seventh capture, yet the Poké ball sat in his hand unlocked and fully expanded. That shouldn't be happening.

Sitting down he reached into his backpack for his Pokénav and placed a video call to Sam.

The man answered after only two rings. "Yes hello?"

Ash sweatdropped at the image of Sam's back. "Wrong camera Sam, behind you," he said.

"Hmm?" He turned around, "Oh Ash how are you?"

"Confused," Ash replied.

Sam nodded, not really listening, "Now I got your most recent report about this Damin person and I find myself most appalled by his actions. I examined League law personally and I'm ashamed to say that Nurse Joy is correct. There's nothing we can do unless you personally catch him abusing his Pokémon."

"Professor," Ash said.

"I also read the paper you wrote on this hidden village passed Mt. Moon and I find myself most intrigued. Now I know better than to show up unannounced but I'm considering sending this Melanie some of my spare supplies to help her. Perhaps I could send my Dragonite..." He trailed off in thought.

"Sam!" Ash shouted.

"Hmm, what can I do for you Ash?"

Sighing Ash held Squirtles Poké ball up to the camera, "this is my seventh capture."

"Ah," Sam said, a sly smile growing on his face, "I was wondering when you would discover my surprise."

"What surprise?" Ash asked suspiciously.

"Oh nothing much," he said with false modesty, "just that I've granted you field researcher status."

"What?" Ash asked in shock.

Field researchers were granted special permissions. They were allowed into areas that normal trainers were usually forbidden to access, they could assist in police matters, and they were allowed to carry up to twelve Pokémon with them at any one time.

"You heard me," Professor Oak said, "and I'm quite pleased with your work. Keep sending me those reports of your adventures and you'll have nothing to worry about."

"I...alright Professor," Ash said with a sigh, "Thank you."

"You're most welcome Ash, I'm looking forward to your next report," he signed off.

"Wow," Ash said, turning to look at Riolu.

The screen suddenly turned back on and Sam reappeared, "Oh Ash, one more thing, I think you should pay a visit to my good friend Bill. He lives in a lighthouse not too far from Vermillion City." The screen winked out again.

Ash sighed, "I guess we're going to visit Bill."

* * *

"Remind me again why were searching for a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere," Misty said irritably.

"Because Professor Oak said we should," Ash replied for what felt like the hundredth time.

Misty huffed, but wasn't about to argue with the premier Pokémon Researcher in the world. Instead she reached up and started running her fingers through Pikachu's soft hair, having found that it tended to calm her when her temper started acting up. Pikachu gave a soft, "Chaa!" in contentment.

Suddenly the salty scent of the ocean hit their noses, and they crossed a bend to see a sandy beach sprawling out before them. "Hey, is that it?" Brock said, pointing up along the coast. Standing at the top of a high cliff was a tall lighthouse, it's spotlight shining out to the sea.

"It must be, let's go," Ash said.

After a short jog the group made it to the entrance to the lighthouse. The door was easily twelve feet tall, made of a strong wood and carved with dozens upon dozens of images of different Pokémon. Ash rang the doorbell and an eerie sound echoed through the building. After a moment the intercom turned on and a voice answered, "Hello? Who's there."

"My name is Ash Ketchum here with my friends Brock and Misty, I'm a Field Researcher for Professor Oak. He suggested that I come visit you," Ash said.

"You didn't tell us you were a field researcher!" Brock whispered in shock.

Ash waved him off so he could hear Bill's response.

"Wonderful, come on in," Bill replied.

The door creaked open and the three humans and Riolu stepped in, gazing around curiously. There were a couple of telephones against one wall, and several scientific instruments on the other. Carved into the walls themselves were dozens more Pokémon, though from what Ash could see there were only Pokémon registered to the Kanto Regional dex.

"Welcome, I am Bill of the Lighthouse."

At the far end of the entry hall stood a large Pokémon, long thought to be extinct.

"A Kabuto!" Brock gasped, "That's impossible!"

"They went extinct long ago," Ash agreed.

"No no," the Kabuto said, waving it's legs frantically, "I am Bill. This is just a costume that I'm stuck in. Could you please help me?"

"Uh, sure," Ash said, walking up, "How do I get you out?"

Bill lifted one of his arms, "Just press this button here. These arms are too stubby for me to reach it."

Ash pressed the button and the costume literally broke apart, revealing a aristocratic looking man with wavy green hair and rather expensive looking clothing. He sighed with relief, "Thank you very much young man, I've been stuck in that thing for hours."

"No problem," Ash said.

"Why were you wearing that thing anyway?" Misty asked.

"I'm a Pokémon Researcher," Bill explained, "I've found that dressing up like a Pokémon in this fashion helps me get into their heads. A sneak peak if you will of how they lived their lives, even thousands of years ago."

"Wow, that's amazing," Brock said.

"Yes. Take a look at these walls," Bill gestured all around them, "There are a hundred and fifty Pokémon species that have been discovered in the Kanto Region alone, that doesn't even account for the new evolutions discovered in other regions, not to mention the Pokémon themselves."

He noticed Riolu standing at Ash's side, "Like this Riolu for example. Is he yours?"

"Uh Huh," Ash said, "Riolu was my first pokémon."

"Very lucky indeed," Bill said admiringly, "Riolu were first discovered in the Sinnoh Region, but since then they've been found in northern Kanto, Unova, and Kalos as well. And that's just the beginning. All Pokémon can be broken down into one or two of 18 different types, three of which have just been discovered in the past couple of years."

"This is amazing Professor," Brock said admiringly, "You sure know a lot about Pokémon."

"My life's work is to discover as much about Pokémon as I can imagine," Bill said passionately,

"What a cutie!"

The three males looked over to see Misty gently playing with a small silver Pokémon. Ash's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of an Eevee, and not just a normal Eevee but a shiny one at that.

"Oh my," Bill said in shock, "That Eevee is usually so shy around strangers, but she seems to really like you young lady."

"Well I like her too," Misty said with a smile.

"I assume Eevee's yours then?" Ash asked, "Are you studying her?"

"No," Bill replied, "She's actually not mine. She already lived here at the Lighthouse when I moved in. I offer her food and water, but otherwise she generally stays away from me and everyone else.

"In actuality I am searching for a much different Pokémon. Come with me." Bill lead them up to the top of the lighthouse where it was easy to see far out into the sea. At least it would have been if not for the dense fog layer that had moved in while they were speaking with Bill. Night had fallen and the ocean lapped eerily on the cliffs far down below them.

"Nine days ago, I heard a signal call from out in the ocean," Bill began. He held up a recorder and played a roaring song. It was a sad and haunting melody and Bill, with his eyes closed spoke softly, "I am lonely...I would like to be your friend, that's what it was saying to me.

"I became obsessed with what I heard. I created a similar sound and sent it back out across the waves. I said, 'I want to meet you, l want to be friends with you.' Then a couple of days later I heard a response, 'I want to be friends, I want to meet you too.' I've been replaying my recording every night in the hopes that this mysterious Pokémon will come."

"Wow, that's amazing," Ash said in awe.

"Will you capture it if it comes?" Misty asked.

"Why would I capture it?" Bill asked, "I am no Pokémon Trainer; to meet it and be its friend would be plenty for me."

They fell into silence as they listened to the haunting melody echo out across the waves.

Feeling bold, Ash held a hand out to Misty, "Care to dance?"

She blinked in surprise then giggled and took his hand, "I'd be delighted." Pikachu leapt from her shoulder and joined Riolu at the railing.

Ash and Misty gently swayed to the melody as Bill and Brock gazed out across the ocean content to simply listen. Ash found himself having fun as he danced with Misty, but there seemed to be something missing.

Before he'd left Pallet, his mom had given him 'The Talk.' That had been the single most horrifying and embarrassing three hours of his entire life, but he had learned a lot. In addition to sex, his mom had told him that when he was searching for his forever partner, someone he could love and cherish for the rest of his life, that he should remember to listen not to his brain but to his heart and soul.

He had thought he had felt something for Misty, but now as he danced with her he realized that it was probably just a fleeting crush. He still like her, but as a good friend only. He knew that she wasn't the one, and he thought she felt the same about him.

A second melody suddenly called from the distance across the ocean. Riolu perked up and leapt up to the railing, "Rio ri ri!" he shouted, pointing out to the ocean.

"The signal, it's here!" Bill said in shock.

Ash and Misty separated and everyone crowded to the railing and gazed out to try and see what it was. Slowly a dark shape began to loom out of the fog. It was truly massive, even taller than the lighthouse itself.

"Oh my Arceus," Ash breathed in amazement.

"It's amazing," Misty said.

"How big would you say that is Bill?" Brock asked.

"I...I have no idea," Bill said.

Curious if his Pokédex could tell him anything about it, Ash pulled it out and scanned the Pokémon.

" **Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon. Dragonite is said to live in the sea. With its small wings and large body, it can fly faster than the speed of sound."**

"It's a Dragonite?" Ash said shock, "I didn't know they could get that big."

"Oh but this is fantastic," Bill said in delight, "Don't you see Ash, this just goes to show you that the world of Pokémon will always provide new ways to surprise us. We will never truly discover all of the mysteries of Pokémon, and if we do then the world will just make new ones for us to look for."

Ash smiled, "I see what you mean Bill." He gazed up in amazement as the Dragonite loomed out of the fog and looked directly at Bill. "Professor Oak will never believe this."

* * *

The next morning the group got ready to leave. They'd spent the night in several guest rooms that Bill had provided.

"So Ash," Misty said, as they were finishing breakfast, "Why didn't you ever tell us you were a Field Researcher?"

"Honestly I didn't know about it until Professor Oak told me after I captured Squirtle," Ash said, "I thought it was odd that his Poké ball didn't lock down so I called Sam and he told me that he'd made me a field researcher."

"Interesting," Bill mumbled, "Do you know why Sam made you a field researcher?"

Ash shrugged, "I've been working at Sam's lab for three years now. Sort of a semi-apprenticeship until I started my journey."

"You've never told us that," Brock said, a touch of annoyance creeping into his tone.

"Well you've never told me much about your lives before our journey either," Ash countered, "It just never came up. Anyway, Sam gave me a Pokénav Plus and instructed me to send him reports of any interesting finds during my journey. He says that as long as I continue sending him reports I can keep my Field Researcher's license."

"So that's why you're always typing away at that thing," Brock said.

"Yep," Ash said, "I don't mind it too much. And Sam knows that I'm going to put my training first so he understands if I don't send him something every week."

"That's very impressive Ash," Bill said, "it's not every young man who's taken under the wing of Professor Oak."

Ash flushed and tucked his head, "It's not that impressive. I spent a week begging him when I was seven before he agreed."

Everyone laughed at that.

"Eevee!"

"Eee ee!"

A grey blur came rushing into the room, followed closely by a brown blur. Ash had let his own Eevee out earlier to play with the Shiny one. They'd hit it off at once before running off somewhere in the lighthouse.

"Those two sure are having fun," Misty commented happily.

"They certainly are," Bill agreed. His face suddenly turned contemplative before he looked at Misty. "Misty, would you mind terribly if I asked you to take Eevee with you?"

Misty blinked, looking up at Bill in surprise. "What? Me?"

"Certainly," Bill said, "you're the first person to come here that Eevee really likes. I think it would be good for her to get out of the stuffy old lighthouse and see the world."

Misty smiled, "I would be happy to." She got off of her chair and crouched down. "Eevee? Can you come here please?"

"Eevee!" the grey Eevee came running up to her, tail wagging. Ash's Eevee went up to his trainer and leapt into his lap, where Ash started stroking his back.

"Eevee, would you like to come with me?" Misty asked, "It's my dream to become the world's greatest Water Pokémon Master, and I'd love it if you help me."

"Eevee, eevee!" the Pokémon said, nodding rapidly.

"Great!" Misty said, she pulled out her Poké ball and gently tapped it against Eevee's side. She was absorbed in a flash of light and the Poké ball dinged instantly.

"Awesome, I have an Eevee!" Misty cheered.

"Congratulations Misty," Brock said.

"Way to go Mist," Ash said.

* * *

"Finally, Vermillion City!" Ash said with excitement.

"We're finally here," Misty said, "I'm going to take a bubble bath the moment we hit the Pokémon Center."

"I need to hit the laundromat and replenish our stores at the Pokémart," Brock said, "It's a good thing you had that two day emergency stash in your backpack Ash or we would have run out of food long ago."

"Yeah," Ash agreed, "but I'm sure that our Pokémon could have found us enough berries to live off of until we got here."

By now, they had reached the Pokémon center. They were about to walk in when a kid came rushing by with a Rattata in a stretcher being pushed by a Chansey.

"I wonder what happened," Ash said as they walked in.

"Oh dear, that's the fifteenth one this month!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as the stretcher rushed past her.

Ash sweatdropped, today was the 4th. "Nurse Joy, what's going on?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, it's the gym leader, Lt. Surge. He keeps beating his challengers to within an inch of their lives and refuses to back down whenever I confront him," she said angrily.

"Wow, what kind of Pokémon does he have that can do all of this?" Misty asked, gesturing at all of the injured Pokémon around.

"He has a Raichu," the nurse informed them, "Just last month, he found a Thunderstone and used it on his brand new Pikachu."

"A Raichu huh?" Ash said, he quickly pulled out his Pokédex and looked up Raichu

" **Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pikachu. It can loose 100,000-volt bursts of electricity, instantly downing foes several times its size."**

"Hmm," Ash said contemplatively. After a moment he pulled out a Poké ball and released its occupant.

"Eebui?"

Grinning Ash crouched down in front of Eevee. "Hey buddy, are you ready for your first Gym battle? The Gym Leader has a tough Raichu but I know you can beat it."

"Eebui ee!" he agreed determinately, bouncing around and ready for action.

"Are you sure you wish to battle Lt. Surge's Raichu with an Eevee?" Nurse Joy asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sure he can win," Ash said confidently. He'd been training Eevee since day one, and he knew a couple moves that would give him an advantage against an electric type.

* * *

"That's the gym," Ash stated. The trio were standing in front of a large building that had a Lightning Bolt symbol at the head.

They walked in to see several gym trainers milling around. All of them were wearing leather clothing like they were trying to be bad ass bikers.

Ash stepped forward, his body language oozing confidence, and loudly declared, "I challenge Lt. Surge to a gym battle for the Thunder Badge!"

The gym fell silent as everybody looked at Ash.

"Is that so?" a booming voice said from the back of the gym. Out of the shadows stepped a large man with spiky yellow hair cut military style and dog tags hanging around his neck.

Lt. Surge gazed at Ash, noticing his confidence, trying to decide whether or not he would be much of a challenge. That's until he zeroed in on Eevee. He laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, are you going you battle me with that pipsqueak?" he asked.

Ash gave him a cool look, "That's the idea," he replied, "Why, do you think I shouldn't?"

Surge pulled out a Poké Ball, "You tell me, go Poké Ball." Out of the red and white sphere burst the Raichu that Nurse Joy had mentioned. The orange mouse's cheeks started sparking in challenge.

From Misty's shoulder, her Pikachu sparked in response, seemingly unable to decide whether to be scared or not.

Ash raised an eyebrow at Surge, unimpressed, "Evolution doesn't decide a battle," he said.

Surge laughed again, "We'll see about that baby, I accept your challenge."

Ash bristled, "What did you call me?" he asked icily.

Surge waved his hand dismissively, "Ah, I call everyone I beat baby," he said as if it explained everything.

Ash glared at Surge, "You don't want to underestimate me," he said, his voice seeping with venom. Surge just shrugged and walked out towards the field.

Ash followed him and stepped into his battle box.

The Judge stepped into his box and announced the match. "This is a one-on-one Pokémon battle between Gym Leader Lt. Surge and Challenger Ash of Pallet Town. The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle. The challenger has the first move, Ready, Begin!"

"Go Eevee, use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.

Eevee burst into a blur of motion, racing across the field with a white aura of energy.

"Use Thunder Shock," Lt. Surge ordered.

"Raichu!" the Pokémon responded and unleashed a large burst of electricity that cracked towards Eevee.

"Dodge it," Ash shouted.

Eevee jumped to the side, mid Quick Attack, and kept going to slam into Raichu. The electric mouse grunted from the hit, but otherwise didn't seem to notice any effect.

"Ha ha," Surge laughed, "use Mega Kick Raichu!"

Raichu's foot started glowing burnt orange and he delivered a solid kick to Eevee while he was close.

"Eeeee!" he cried as he was flung across the field.

"Don't give in Eevee," Ash yelled, "Use Dig!"

"Vee!" Eevee quickly dug into the ground and vanished from sight.

"Hmm, so you have a ground attack," Surge said, "Well that won't save you. Get ready Raichu, when it comes up give it a good Mega Punch!"

The ground suddenly cracked behind Raichu and Eevee erupted out. Unfortunately, Raichu was ready. He whipped his tail and knocked Eevee off course before turning and giving him a solid punch. Eevee went flying and crashed to Ash's left.

"No Eevee, get up!" Ash pleaded.

Eevee struggled to get to his feet, but Lt. Surge was merciless.

"Now Raichu, use Thunder!"

"Chuuu," the Pokémon shouted as it unleashed an enormous blast of electricity. It slammed into the Evolution Pokémon, eliciting a loud cry of pain from him.

"Eevee no!" Ash shouted, "I forfeit!"

Raichu cut his attack, leaving a limp and smoking Eevee lying on the ground.

"The challenger has forfeited," the judge called, "Lt. Surge wins."

Ash ran out and gently collected Eevee into his arms. "I'm sorry Eevee, I thought we could win. I guess I was getting too cocky." Ignoring Surge's laughter he carried Eevee out of the Gym, with Brock and Misty trailing in his wake and Riolu whining at his side.

* * *

Ash stood silently outside of the E.R. waiting for Nurse Joy to finish treating Eevee. His head was bowed, causing his hat to cast his face into shadow.

Misty came up beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't feel bad Ash," she said, "Everyone loses sometimes. What's important is the lesson that you learn from your loss."

Ash slowly lifted his head and gave her a small smile, "Thanks Misty." She nodded and walked away, heading towards their room.

The door opened and Nurse Joy came walking out of the E.R. with Eevee's Poké ball in her hand. "Eevee is all better," she said, "A good night's rest and he'll be ready for battle by morning."

"Thanks Nurse Joy," Ash said gratefully, taking the Poké ball.

"You're welcome," she said. She hesitated, then said, "Ash, I have something here that might give you a chance to defeat Lt. Surge if you decide to challenge him again tomorrow."

Ash looked curiously up at her. She pulled a small cloth pouch from her pocket and offered it to him. Ash opened it and gasped at the translucent green stone within. "A Thunderstone?" he asked in surprise.

Nurse Joy nodded, "I have no use for it, but if you evolve your Eevee into a Jolteon then he would be immune to Raichu's electric attacks with his Volt Absorb ability."

Ash closed the bag and tightened cinch that closed it. "Thank you Nurse Joy...I'll think about it."

She smiled at him, "I'm glad. Good luck Ash."

That night Ash tossed and turned in his bed, his gaze repeatedly drifting to his backpack where the Thunderstone lay. Did he really want to force his Pokémon to evolve just to win a battle against a single Pokémon? Was he that desperate that he wasn't willing to take more time to train Eevee before a rematch?

He thought back over the battle, remembering how easily Raichu had overpowered Eevee. It didn't even need to move much to...Ash sat bolt upright in bed. That was it! A plan quickly formed in his mind and a grin grew on his face.

* * *

Ash awoke early the next morning and exited the Pokémon center with Eevee's Poké ball in hand and Riolu at his heels. He went to one of the empty practice fields and released Eevee.

He looked up at Ash, then lowered his head in shame. "Eebui," he said sadly.

"No," Ash said sharply, "this was not your fault. It was mine. I underestimated Surge and you paid the price for my pride. I'm sorry Eevee."

"Eevee vee vee eev," Eevee protested, shaking his head rapidly.

"Ri Riolu rio riolu," Riolu agreed, both of them telling him that it wasn't his fault.

Ash smiled down at them, "Thanks guys, your good friends. Now, I think I've come up with a plan to beat Surge." The Pokémon's smiles grew as he outlined his plan.

Around noon Ash once again entered the Vermillion Gym with Brock and Misty at his heels.

"Are you sure you want to do this Ash?" Brock asked, "he beat Eevee pretty good the first time."

"I'm sure," Ash said, "this time I have a plan."

"Well, back for more Baby?" Surge chuckled as he came out to meet Ash.

Ash glared grimly at him. "I want another battle, and this time I won't loose."

Lt. Surge snorted, "if I had a quarter for every time someone said that to me. Let's get this over with baby."

They got into their boxes and the judge announced the match. "This is a one-on-one Pokémon battle rematch between Gym Leader Lt. Surge and Challenger Ash of Pallet Town. The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon is unable to battle. The challenger has the first move. Ready, Begin!"

"Eevee, to the battlefront," Ash shouted, releasing Eevee.

"Let's go Raichu," Lt. surge ordered, releasing his Pokémon.

"Alright Eevee, use Dig just like we practiced," Ash ordered.

"Vee!"

"I guess you didn't learn anything from your first beating," Lt. Surge growled, "get ready with. A Mega Kick Raichu."

Both Surge and Raichu were surprised however when Eevee emerged from the ground ten feet to their right. He then dove back into the ground in a new hole. All over the field Eevee started appearing, digging new holes all over the place.

"What are you planning?" Lt. Surge growled.

Ash smiled, "Alright that's enough to Eevee. Now use Double Team."

"Vee!" Came from the nearest hole. Suddenly a dozen Eevee's emerged from different holes all over the field. Lt. Surge and Raichu looked around, trying to figure out which the real one was.

"Now use Swift!" Ash ordered. All of the Eevee's launched a stream of golden stars, each one impacting against Raichu until the real one hit.

"Rai!" He shouted in pain.

"There it is," Lt. Surge said, having been watching for the real one, "Raichu use Thunderbolt on that one."

"Eevee, dive back under," Ash ordered.

Raichu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at Eevee, but he managed to escape as all of the illusions dove back underground.

"Now use Swift again!" Ash ordered.

Again, all of the Eevee's jumped back above ground and launched the attack. Raichu cried out again as the Swift hit him, even as the Eevee's dove back into the holes.

"Stop hiding and face us!" Lt. Surge growled angrily.

"If you insist," Ash said, "Eevee, use Dig!"

Suddenly the ground underneath Raichu erupted and Eevee burst free, crashing painfully into Raichu. "Raii!" he shouted painfully even as he landed several feet away.

"A trick!" Lt. Surge said, "you did all that to distract us from the real attack."

Ash smiled at him, "Eevee, finish it with Take Down!"

A faint bronze glow enveloped Eevee as he charged down Raichu and rammed hard into it.

Raichu shouted in pain before collapsing from the force of the blow and didn't move. Eevee winced briefly from the recoil but stood his ground waiting. The judge examined Raichu closely before raising his flag, "Raichu is unable to battle, the victory goes to Ash of Pallet Town!"

"Yes we did it!" Ash cheered, running out to scoop Eevee into a hug. "Vee eevee!" he squeaked happily.

Lt. Surge stared in surprise before harumphing and returning Raichu. He walked over to Ash, "Congratulations kid, you beat me. Here, as proof of your victory; the Thunder Badge."

Ash took the yellow and gold flower shaped badge gratefully and placed it in his badge case. "Thank you Lt. Surge."

"You're welcome kid, now get outta here, I got a reputation to keep," Surge said, before turning and heading to the back of his gym.

Still holding Eevee, Ash placed a hand on Riolu's head, gently scratching his ears before leaving to meet Misty and Brock.

"You did great Ash," Misty said, running up. "Pika!" her Pikachu agreed.

"Yeah, I was really impressed by your strategy," Brock said, "congratulations."

"Thanks guys," Ash said with a smile.

* * *

 **And here is Chapter 3.**

 **I want to thank everyone who has decided to continue to support me and my stories, it means quite a lot to me. I know a lot of people are really put out by Misty capturing Pikachu instead of Ash, but I had a very specific reason to do this. I wanted to build up the bond between Riolu and Ash, I want it to be easily as close as canon Ash's is with Pikachu, but it would have been difficult to do so with Pikachu in the way. I also did it because it's never been done before as far as I know.**

 **In other news, to no one's surprise Cynthia has won the poll against Anabel, making this officially a Rayshipping fic. Yay!**

 **Until next week,**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	4. Chapter 4

"Wow, look at all of the cruise ships," Misty gushed, gazing around at all of the massive ships that were docked along the Vermillion City port. "I would love to go on a sea cruise...a long relaxing cruise, sunbathing on deck all day, all of the Water Pokémon that we'd see in the ocean." Misty's eyes were far away as she daydreamed.

"Yeah, it's too bad we'd never be able to afford something like that," Brock said, bringing Misty back down to earth.

"Reality sure can be a bummer," Ash said with a sigh.

They were about to walk away when streamers of confetti exploded in their faces. Standing in front of Ash and his friends was a pair of cheerleaders. They each wore sleeveless sweaters, a skirt and heavy makeup. Each had orange hair and a pair of pom poms in the hands.

"Congratulations! You dudes are way lucky! You just won tickets to an all deluxe sea cruise!" one of them said.

"Coool!" the other girl squealed.

"Wait what?" Ash yelped, staring at them in horror.

"We give cool Pokemon Trainers tickets to the famous St. Anne for free. We saw you and thought you looked cool," the first cheerleader continued.

"Cooool!" the second one squealed again.

"Okay dudes, so here are your tickets," the first one said, shoving the three tickets in front of their faces.

"Cooool!"

"Why are you giving them away?" Brock asked.

"We were going to give these to our boyfriends, but we've decided to give these to you since you're so cool, so please take these."

"Coool!"

The first cheerleader literally shoved them into Ash's hands. "Now we must go, so have fun." They danced away with a single parting, "Cooool!"

Ash blinked, wondering if he'd just been dreaming or if that really happened. The tickets in his hand seemed to imply the latter.

"Awesome, come on Ash, lets go!" Misty said.

"Wait…" Ash tried to stop them, but both Brock and Misty ran off in search of the St. Anne before Ash could say anything.

When Ash finally caught up with his friends, Misty snatched the tickets out of his hands and waved them on board the St. Anne before he could utter a single protest. Resigning himself to his fate, Ash decided to just enjoy himself.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Misty said with glee.

"A Pokémon trainer's paradise," Brock agreed.

Ash looked around with interest, eyeing all of the different battles going on around him. In one field, he saw an Axew battling a Chinchou. Another field had a Dragonite head to head with a Gallade. There was even a water field with a Floatzel battling against a Goldeen.

"This must be an international ship," Ash said, "because I'm seeing Pokémon from all different regions."

"Hmm, could be, I hope we don't end up in Unova though," Brock said, "That would be a long trip."

After watching several different battles, and itching to get in a battle of his own, he ran up to a field where a kid with a Zangoose had just beat another with a Seviper.

"Alright who's next? I want a challenge this time," the Zangoose trainer called.

"I'll battle you," Ash said stepping up, "I'm Ash from Pallet Town."

"Jefferson," his opponent replied, "I'm from Lilycove City."

Ash nodded, "Riolu, to the battlefront!" he said and Riolu leapt out ready to fight.

"I'll start things off," Jefferson said, "Zangoose use Slash!"

Zangoose's sharp claws grew sharper as they started glowing white. The Cat ferret Pokémon then leapt forward with incredible speed at Riolu.

Seeing no way for Riolu to dodge, Ash called, "Riolu, use Counter."

Riolu bent down on one knee and his body became outlined in red as Counter activated. Just in time as Zangoose's Slash attack came crashing down on the little Fighting type. The attack struck Riolu in the back, then instantly bounced back and struck Zangoose in the face.

"Zangoose," Jefferson shouted in worry, "are you alright?"

"Zang," Zangoose replied affirmative.

"Use Force Palm," Ash ordered. Riolu ran forward, his palm glowing brightly.

"Protect!" Jefferson ordered. A large green shield suddenly formed around Zangoose and Riolu's attack deflected off.

"Oh no," Ash said.

"Quick use X-Scissor," Jefferson ordered. Zangoose's claws started glowing a light blue color and he leapt at Riolu.

"Endure," Ash shouted. Riolu quickly started focusing his energy to endure the attack. Zangoose brought his claws down in an X formation and struck Riolu. The Emanation Pokémon collapsed to the ground.

"Hah, that's it, this battle's over," Jefferson cockily.

Ash's only response was, "Force Palm!"

Zangoose suddenly felt a weight on its chest. It looked down in surprise to see Riolu staring at back, with a glowing white palm pressed against its chest. They stared at each other for a split second, before the Force Palm detonated and blasted Zangoose back.

"Finish it with Quick Attack!" Ash commanded. Riolu jetted towards Zangoose with a trail of white light and slammed into the stunned Normal Type, sending him flying against the nearest wall and into unconsciousness.

"Yes, we won Riolu!" Ash cheered as he ran out to hug his Pokémon.

After returning his Pokémon, Jefferson walked up to Ash, "That was a great battle Ash. Thanks."

Ash shook Jefferson's hand, "Yeah it was a great battle."

Ash walked back over to Brock and Misty.

"That was a good battle," Misty said.

"Yeah," Brock agreed, "Listen, I got a guide to all of the different facilities that they offer to trainer's on board."

Suddenly a voice sounded over the ship's intercom, "Will all trainer's please converge in the main ballroom for the official ticket drawing."

"What's the ticket drawing?" Ash asked.

Brock opened his booklet and started skimming through the pages, "Here it is, it says here that once a month on the St. Anne, they draw 5 numbers that match some of the passenger's tickets. Each winner gets a special prize that's related to Pokémon in some way."

"That sounds awesome, lets go and check it out," Ash said.

* * *

"Alright Pokémon trainers, it's time for the monthly ticket drawing," the announcer said, "My name is Jillian, some of you may know me as the Contest MC for the Unova Region."

Several of the trainers, obviously coordinators from Unova, started cheering.

"Contest?" Misty asked in confusion.

"It's a special Pokémon tournament where instead of battling on pure power, the trainers, called Coordinators, focus on the Pokémon's beauty and grace," Brock explained.

"Huh, sounds interesting," Misty said, "but I think I'll stick with traditional battling."

"You and me both Misty," Ash agreed.

"Ok trainers, are you ready?" Jillian asked. The crowd started cheering.

An assistant walked up to the stage and handed Jillian an envelope. She opened it and pulled out the letter.

"Alright, our fifth place prize winner is…Jefferson of Lilycove City!"

The crowd started clapping as Jefferson went up to the stage.

"Hey Ash, isn't that the trainer that you just battled?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, good for him," Ash replied.

"Our fourth place winner is…Steven from Nimbasa City!"

The crowd cheered again as Steven walked up to the stage.

"Our third place winner is…Brock from Pewter City!"

The crowd started cheering again, Brock meanwhile was standing there speechless.

"Great job Brock," Ash said.

"Yeah, congratulations," Misty said.

Ash gave Brock a little push in the back, "Get up there, they're waiting." This got Brock into action, he walked up to the stage and stood in line with the other winners.

"Our second place winner is…Misty from Cerulean City!"

Ash's eyes widened in surprise, "Congrats Misty," he said.

"Thanks," she said, "weird coincidence though, right?"

"Yeah, weird," Ash agreed. Misty shrugged and went up to the stage to stand next to Brock.

"And, finally, our first place winner, and grand prize winner is…Ash of Pallet Town!"

Blinking in surprise, Ash hurried up to stand next to Misty. She gave him a smile and whispered, "Who'd of thought that the three of us would be the winners, huh."

"Alright, now that all of our winners have been chosen, it's time to give them their prizes!" Jillian announced.

Another assistant walked onto the stage and presented Jillian with a flat box with a Poké ball symbol on it.

She walked up to Jefferson, "As our fifth place winner, your prize is…" She opened the box and presented it to Jefferson, inside were a set of seven feathers in a display case, "A full set of Wings! Congratulations!"

"Thank you very much!" Jefferson said, he took the box and left the stage.

The assistant walked back onto the stage, this time with two boxes, "For our fourth place winner, we have…a complete set of Vitamins!"

"Thank you," Steven said with a bow. He took the box and left the stage.

Jillian then walked up to Brock with three boxes in tow, "For our third place winner, we have…a complete Pokémon grooming kit."

Brock jaw dropped as he looked at the Deluxe kit. Grinning he said, "this is awesome, thank you." He collected the box and left the stage.

Jillian then walked up to Misty, "For our second place winner, we have…a set of five lure balls and a Water Stone!"

"Oh wow, thank you!" Misty had gone starry eyed.

Ash smirked at the display before turning his attention back to Jillian.

"And now for our final first place winner, we have…a mystery Pokémon!"

Ash jerked his head up in surprise, _'A Pokémon?!'_

He took the Poké ball from from Jillian and tossed it in the air, "Go Pokémon."

With a flash of bright blue light, Ash's new Pokémon appeared on the stage. Ash and the entire crowd gasped in surprise when they saw it.

"No way," Ash said to himself, completely surprised.

"Tini?!" The small snake like Pokémon looked up at him with large adorable eyes.

"A Dratini!" Ash said in awe. He pulled out his Pokédex to scan it.

" **Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini sheds its skin as it grows, often doing so while hidden behind large powerful waterfalls."**

 _Type: Dragon  
Ability: Shed Skin  
Gender: Male  
Moves: Wrap, Thunder Wave, Twister, Extreme Speed_

"Oh wow, a rare Dratini," Jillian said into the microphone, "Well you certainly are lucky tonight young man. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Ash said, smiling as he returned Dratini to its Poké ball and moved over to join Brock and Misty.

"Congratulations Ash," Brock said.

"Yeah, I am jealous," Misty said, "that Dratini is so cute!"

"Tell me about it," Ash said. However he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. It was odd that all three of them had been chosen. With a sigh he shook his head and put it out of his mind, it was probably a coincidence.

* * *

Since it was pretty late in the evening, they decided to retire to their cabins for the night. As Ash was getting ready for bed, he heard a knock on the door. Opening it he found Misty standing there.

"Hey Misty, what's up?"

"I was wondering if I could borrow your Pokédex?" she said.

Ash blinked, "what for?"

"Well I was planning on evolving Eevee into a Vaporeon," Misty said, "and I was hoping I could scan her so I know what moves she has."

"Cool," Ash said, "How about you evolve her right here, and I can scan her. I'd like to watch my first evolution."

"Sure," Misty said with a shrug. She entered the cabin and called out Eevee.

Ash, remembering his own plan, called out his own Eevee.

They cried out in delight at seeing one another, but Misty called her Eevee over to her to talk to her. Ash crouched down in front of his. "Hey buddy. Yesterday after your first match against Lt. Surge Nurse Joy offered me a Thunderstone so you could evolve into a Jolteon."

"Vee?" Eevee tilted his head as Ash pulled the Thunderstone from his pocket.

"I didn't want to force you to evolve just so we could win a battle," Ash continued, "But now that you've won I'm offering it to you now. I know Misty's offering her Eevee a Water Stone to evolve into a Vaporeon. Do you want it?"

Eevee looked over at Misty's eevee, who was wagging her tail as Misty offered her the Water Stone. He then looked back at Ash and nodded. "Eevee!"

"Alright buddy, it's all yours," Ash said, placing the stone down on the ground.

Both Eevee's placed their paws on their respective stones at the same moment and burst into bright blue-white light. Their forms became fluid as their size, shape, and type changed rapidly.

"Oh, wow," Misty said in awe.

"You could say that again," Ash said.

Finally the glow faded away to reveal two new Pokémon. Jolteon now stood level with Ash's knee, whereas before he barely reached his shin. He had sharp spiky yellow hair all over his body with a white mane around his neck.

Vaporeon now had a streamlined scale covered body. She was a couple of inches shorter than Jolteon yet had a longer finned tail and a round fin like ruff around her neck. Instead of the normal blue color of most Vaporeon's, she had a magenta body due to her shiny stature.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned first Jolteon then Vaporeon.

" **Jolteon, the Lightning Pokémon and an evolved form of Eevee. When angered or frightened, the hairs on Jolteon's body become like needles that are fired at its opponents. It absorbs charged atoms and can produce 10,000 volts of electricity."**

 _Type: Electric  
Ability: Volt Absorb  
Gender: Male  
Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Take Down, Dig, Double Team, Thundershock, Pin Missile_

" **Vaporeon, the Bubble Jet Pokémon, and an evolved form of Eevee. The composition of its cells is similar to molecules of water, and as such, can melt in water."**

 _Type: Water  
Ability: Water Absorb  
Gender: Female  
Moves: Tackle, Helping Hand, Quick Attack, Water Gun, Acid Armor_

Misty smiled, "Thank you Ash, but when did you get a Thunderstone?"

"Nurse Joy gave it to me yesterday," Ash said, "She wanted me to use it to defeat Lt. Surge but I didn't want to force Eevee to evolve just to win a battle."

Misty nodded, "I understand. Thanks again Ash, come on let's go Vaporeon."

* * *

-Dream Sequence-

Ash was floating above the massive dining hall on board the St. Anne. Looking down, he could see hundreds of trainer's milling around or eating.

Confused, he looked around and gaped when he spotted himself sitting at one of the tables with Misty and Brock eating like a veritable pig. He fully admitted that he had a big appetite, but his manners had improved over the past couple of years...this was ridiculous.

He then watched as the other Ash was tricked into trading away his Butterfree for a Raticate.

' _I don't have a Butterfree, what is this?'_ Ash said in incredulity.

He then watched as Team Rocket attacked the boat, sucking up Poké balls. Ash himself was the first to start fighting back and he urged the other trainers into action. Once all of the trainer's were battling back, it quickly became a slaughter fest for the Rocket grunts.

Real Ash snorted in amusement as a combo ThunderShock from all of the Pikachu's on board sends Team Rocket flying. The next thing they knew, a massive storm started rocking against the boat. All of the passenger's evacuated except for Ash, who had performed a retrade to get the Butterfree back then idiotically dropped the Poké ball; Brock, and Misty who were following Ash, and a couple of Team Rocket members.

After a particularly aggressive wave hit the ship, Ash and his friends all ended up knocked out and the St. Anne capsized.

The scene around real Ash seemed to shimmer away into a white mist, leaving him confused and annoyed. Ash himself couldn't believe how idiotic he was acting. It was as if he has never spent the past years working with Professor Oak.

"What. The. Hell!" Ash said.

Suddenly, the space around Ash was filled with intense bright light; it was as if a thousand Chinchou decided to overpower their flash attacks all at once.

' _Ash Ketchum!'_ a distinctly female voice suddenly boomed in his head.

Ash gasped. The light died away to reveal a magnificent Legendary Pokémon floating in front of them, a very familiar one at that. It was Ho-Oh. _'What you have just witnessed was one possible path in your future. This would have been your future had steps not been taken,'_ she said.

' _Steps?'_ Ash interrupted, _'What do you mean steps?'_

' _You and your friends did manage to escape with your lives,'_ Ho-Oh continued as if Ash hadn't said anything, _'However, five humans and over two dozen Pokémon lost their lives because they were trapped on board. When this ship sinks, and it will sink, you must ensure that everyone makes it off alive. Good Luck.'_

Before Ash could make any kind of response, everything went black.

-End Dream Sequence-

Ash sat bolt upright in his bed, panting hard. "What…was that?" he demanded.

Ash took a deep breath and looked at his clock. '6:27' it read. Ash frowned at the time, but got up anyway and went to take a shower.

Once he was showered and dressed, Riolu stood at the door and they left to go for a walk around the ship.

"Hey you," someone called about an hour into their walk, "You're Ash right?"

Ash turned around to see Steven, the fourth place winner of the Pokémon drawing standing right behind him. "Yeah, and you're Steven right? Congratulations on the win."

Steven nodded, "Thanks, and the same to you. Hey listen, would you mind having a battle with me using that new Pokémon of yours?"

Ash shrugged, "Sure, why not? He could use some battle experience anyway."

Steven smiled, "Great, there's a battlefield just around the corner."

Ash nodded and followed Steven to the battlefield. When they arrived at the battlefield, Ash took his spot in the green trainer's box while Steven claimed the other box. He stood for a moment examining his opponent more closely.

He had lightly tanned skin with strawberry blonde hair that fell down to his shoulders in an unkempt sprawl. His clothing consisted of a light blue polo shirt and khaki cargo shorts with a pair of crew socks and blue trainers. Steven had an easy going expression on his face; he was lightly muscled with a mountain climber's build, bulky arms and long legs. Strapped to his wrist was a yellow x-transceiver and hanging from his neck was a small silver locket.

"What are the rules?" Ash asked after a moment.

Steven took out a Poké ball with a grin, "One Pokémon each, no substitutions. The battle will be over when either of the Pokémon is unable to battle."

"Agreed," Ash said, "Dratini to the battlefront!"

With a burst of blue light, Dratini landed on the field ready to fight.

Steven smirked as he tossed his own Poké ball. "Servine, time to battle!" With flash of light a Grass Type Pokémon appeared on the field.

Ash quickly scanned his opponent.

" **Servine, the Grass Snake Pokémon, and the evolved form of Snivy. Servine whips its opponents with its vines, and dodges their attacks by hiding in the shadows of thick foliage."**

"Is that your starter?" Ash asked.

"Sure is," Steven replied.

"Awesome, lets get this battle started," Ash said, "Dratini use Twister!"

"Tiiniii!" Dratini's eyes started to glow and a large tornado formed in front of him. With a cry he shoved it towards Servine.

"Counter that with Leaf Tornado!" Steven ordered.

Servine began spinning on its hands, forming a large tornado from it's tail that was filled with glowing leaves and launched it at the incoming Twister. The two tornadoes met in the middle of the field and exploded violently.

"Use Wrap," Ash ordered.

Dratini quickly slithered through the remains of the two attacks and wrapped himself tightly around Servine. The Grass Snake struggled wildly, trying hard to get out from the attack.

"Use Vine Whip to pry it off of you Servine," Steven ordered.

Servine stopped struggling and extended two green vines and wrapped them around Dratini, pulling hard to get him off.

"Thunder Wave!" Ash ordered.

Dratini released a wave of blue electricity that crackled around Servine, causing it to convulse as it was paralyzed.

"No Servine!" Steven said worriedly.

Servine finally managed to pry Dratini loose and flung him across the field.

"Now use Extreme Speed," Ash ordered.

Dratini vanished in a blur of motion before slamming hard into Servine.

"Viiine!" the Pokémon cried out in pain.

"Quick, use Energy Ball," Steven ordered.

Servine quickly formed a ball of green energy and launched it at Dratini. It slammed into him and he cried out.

"Quick, use Extreme Speed again!" Ash ordered.

Once again Dratini blurred towards Servine and slammed into it.

"Now use Twister," Ash ordered.

"Counter with Leaf Tornado!" Steven said.

Dratini quickly formed his tornado and launched it at Servine, but the grass type was taken by its paralysis and wasn't able to respond. The Twister slammed into it and flung it all around before dissipating and leaving an unconscious Servine in it's wake.

"Oh man," Steven said, running out to collect his Servine. "You did a great job buddy, thank you."

"That was a great battle," Ash said, "you're Servine is strong. It probably would have beaten me it it wasn't paralyzed.

"Thanks," Steven said, shaking Ash's hand before walking away to get his Servine healed at the shipboard Pokémon Center.

Ash was about to go look for Brock and Misty when a voice announced over the intercom, "Will trainer Ash of Pallet Town please report to water field 14, you have been issued an official challenge."

Ash blinked when he heard that, _'Who would be challenging me?'_ he wondered to himself.

* * *

After wandering around for fifteen minutes and finally asking for directions, Ash arrived at the battlefield. He looked over at his opponent and froze in shock.

"Misty?" he asked incredulously.

She giggled, "Yep, I figured that this would be the perfect place to hold our Gym battle. We can even have an official judge."

Ash stared at her for another few seconds as his brain caught up with reality. Then a grin broke across his face, "Great, I've been wanting to have this battle. Let's go!"

* * *

Ash and Misty stood in opposite trainer's boxes, ready to battle. The news that a gym battle was going to take place on board had spread fairly quickly throughout the ship. As a result, there was a very large audience, anxious to watch a great battle.

"This is a shall be a 2-on-2 battle between challenger Ash of Pallet town and Gym Leader Misty of the Cerulean City Gym," the judge announced, "This battle shall be over when both Pokémon on one side are announced unable to continue, furthermore, only the challenger shall be allowed to make substitutions. Trainer's release your Pokémon!"

"Staryu let's go!" Misty shouted, releasing her first Pokémon onto one of the many floating platforms exclusive to a water field.

"Bulbasaur, to the battlefront!" Ash released his Grass/Poison Type onto a platform of his own.

"The challenger has the first move, battle begin!"

"Bulbasaur, start out with Poison Powder," Ash ordered. Bulbasaur crouched down slightly so that his bulb was pointing at Staryu and started spewing a cloud of poisonous spores.

"Staryu, quickly dive into the water!" Misty countered. Staryu leapt from the platform it was standing on and started swimming quickly around the pool. "Now Tackle it," Misty ordered.

Staryu leapt out of the water right in front of Bulbasaur and smashed into him.

"Quick Bulbasaur, Vine Whip while its close!" Ash shouted. Bulbasaur quickly extended its vines and wrapped them around Staryu. "Use Mega Drain then toss it back into the water."

"Bulbasaur, bulba!"Bulbasaur replied. His vines started glowing green and began to absorb energy from Staryu. After a few moments, the glow faded and Bulbasaur tossed Staryu back towards its platform.

"Grrr," Misty growled, "Staryu, use Double Edge!" she shouted. Staryu started spinning and rocketed towards Bulbasaur, a golden glow surrounding itself.

"Counter it with Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted. Bulbasaur immediately started firing multiple spinning leaves at the incoming Staryu. With each impact, Staryu slowed down slightly, but it wasn't enough to stop it and it slammed into Bulbasaur causing an explosion.

Once the smoke cleared it was to reveal a heavily damaged Bulbasaur and a knocked out Staryu.

"Staryu is unable to battle, Bulbasaur wins," the judge announced.

"Staryu, return," Misty recalled her fallen Pokémon, "You did a great job." She switched her Pokémon and looked over at Ash, "You're doing just as well as I expected you to Ash, but let's see how you handle this Pokémon. Goldeen let's go!" With a flash, the Goldfish Pokémon appeared over the field and dove into the pool.

"Hmm, Goldeen," Ash muttered thoughtfully, "Bulbasaur took some heavy damage from that last attack, Bulbasaur, use Mega Drain!"

"Saur!" Bulbasaur said. The Seed Pokémon extended his vines and they shot towards Goldeen.

"Don't let it grab you Goldeen," Misty ordered, "Use Peck!"

Goldeen's horn started glowing and she swam through the water quickly, easily dodging Bulbasaur's attacks, before jumping out and jabbing Bulbasaur's side.

"Bulba!" he cried out in pain from the super-effective attack.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted.

Bulbasaur launched a horde of spinning leaves at Goldeen.

"Dive underwater, then use Supersonic," Misty yelled.

Golden dove down, safe from the leaves flying overhead. Not a moment later she surfaced and released a wave of sound that slammed into Bulbasaur.

"Saur saur, bulbasaur," Ash's Pokémon stumbled around on his platform in confusion.

"Return Bulbasaur," Ash said, recalling the Seed Pokémon. "You did great buddy, rest for now," he said before switching out Poké balls. He really wanted to send out Squirtle, but he still didn't trust Ash enough to battle for him. He and Bulbasaur had been working on him but the progress was slow going. Instead he grabbed a different Poké ball and threw it, "Scyther to the battlefront."

The Poké ball burst open and released the Mantis Pokémon to the field. Scyther flapped his wings and landed gently on one of the platforms.

Misty's eyes widened in fear as she saw Scyther. Ash blinked as he suddenly remembered Misty's fear of bug types. He grinned sheepishly as she glared at him.

"That's low Ash," she said.

"Hey, all's fair in love and Pokémon battles," Ash replied. Then he frowned, that sounded weird. He solemnly swore never to use that line ever again.

"Fine," Misty growled, "let's do this. Goldeen use Horn Attack!"

Goldeen suddenly burst out of the water and attempted to skewer Scyther in her horn.

"Fury Cutter," Ash commanded.

Scyther's blade took on a blazing red glow and he slashed at Goldeen. Horn and blade met in a clash, but the Fury Cutter quickly overpowered the Horn Attack thanks to Scyther's Technician ability. Scyther slashed and sent Goldeen flying back into the water.

"Now use Vacuum Wave," Ash commanded.

Scyther slashed again and launched a blade of fighting type energy into the water that quickly impacted against Goldeen.

"Goldeen, no!" Misty shouted with worry. After a moment, Goldeen came floating to the surface, unmoving.

"Goldeen is unable to battle, Scyther wins," the judge announced, "the victor is Ash of Pallet Town."

"Oh no," Misty moaned, "Goldeen return. You did really well."

Having won the match Scyther turned and flew back to Ash. "Thanks buddy," he said, rubbing Scyther's shoulder, "you did awesome, I couldn't have asked for more."

"Rio ri riolu," Riolu added, patting Scyther's blades.

"Scyther scy scy scyther," he responded before Ash returned him.

Looking up, he found Misty standing in front of him, holding out a small, blue teardrop shaped badge.

"That was a great battle Ash," she said, "You're going to be a great trainer some day. Here, have the Cascade badge as proof of your victory over the Cerulean Gym Leader."

"Thanks Misty," Ash said as he took the badge. "We need to battle again, that was really fun."

Misty smiled, "You've got yourself a deal. Come on, let's go find Brock and save whatever poor girl he's failing to flirt with."

Ash smiled and followed.

* * *

The group were congregated in the grand ballroom, socializing with other trainers and watching the occasional battle. Ash had nearly had a heart attack when he spotted the Raticate Trainer from his dream and made sure to steer clear of him.

Ash and Misty were listening as Brock chatted with a Pokémon connoisseur from Unova about trainer compatibility when it happened. All at once, all of the doors slammed shut, the curtains on the windows fell down and blocked out the sun, and all of the waiters ripped off their uniforms to reveal Team Rocket uniforms underneath.

They were all wearing large mechanical backpacks with two hoses protruding over their shoulders.

Then all of the lights went out and a spotlight came on revealing two more Rockets who were wearing an odd white uniform instead of the black everyone else was, both wearing packs of their own.

"Prepare for trouble," the girl began.

"And make it double," the guy continued.

"To protect the world from devastation,"

"To unite all people within our nation,"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love,"

"To extend our reach to the stars above,"

"Jessie,"

"James,"

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light,"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight,"

"Meowth that's right," Meowth said.

Ash blinked, "did that Meowth just talk?"

"Team Rocket will now take possession of your Pokémon," Jessie finished.

This started the crowd of trainers muttering. That's when all of the Rockets activated their backpacks, which turned out to be giant vacuums. A huge wind built up in the crowd and Poké balls started coming loose from trainer belts all over the place.

"ARE WE JUST GOING TO LET THEM STEAL OUR POKÉMON LIKE THIS?" Ash shouted above the gale as he snatched his Poké balls out of the air. "WE'RE TRAINERS AREN'T WE, BATTLE THEM!"

"RIGHT" Everyone shouted. Suddenly the air was filled with the sounds of Pokémon being released from their balls. Ash followed suit, tossing five Poké balls into the air

As Pidgeotto, Jolteon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Scyther appeared; Ash looked around the room. Everywhere he looked there were Rockets still trying to suck up more Poké balls, or Pokémon fighting the different Rocket grunts.

"All right, Scyther and Riolu, I want you two to go around and destroy those vacuums on the Rocket Grunt's backs. The rest of you, work with the other Pokémon to subdue and corral the grunts together," Ash ordered.

The Pokémon nodded in understanding and ran off to get to work. All over the Ballroom, Pokémon were attacking Rockets. Water types were using Water Gun and BubbleBeam to wash grunts away into a massive Whirlpool. The Whirlpool would dump the grunts into a corral of several Pokémon doing Rollout.

Scyther and Riolu had leapt into the corral and were speeding through, breaking open vacuum packs at high speed. Upon seeing what they were doing, several trainers called out Psychic Types to levitate the Poké balls out of there and back to their appropriate trainers.

"TIME TO GET RID OF THEM!" Ash shouted, "GROUP GUST!"

Flying types erupted from Poké balls all over the room and started circling around above the Rockets. Flapping their wings powerfully, the wind started picking up and forming a large tornado around all of the Rocket Grunts.

"Brock, Misty, get that window open!" Ash ordered, pointing towards a large window that pointed to the open sea.

"All right Ash," Brock replied. He and Misty went over to rip the curtain down and force open the window.

Ash ran around to the other side of the twister and barked out his own order, "Pidgeotto, use Twister on that tornado and direct it out the window!"

Ash's Pidgeotto separated from the rest of the flock and started flapping her wings extra hard. A slightly smaller tornado formed in front of her and she directed it into the Gust tornado. The two twister's merged and doubled in size before sliding out and ejecting out the window, taking all of the Rocket grunts out with it. After a moment, all of the flying types that had been in the tornado came flying back in and landing on or in front of their trainers.

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered.

"Well, that was easy," Ash said once he had returned his Pokémon. But then he remembered the rest of his dream, everything up to his point had come true, so did that mean...?

"Ah shit!" he said.

"What Ash," Misty asked.

Ash didn't get a chance to answer because at that exact moment, an enormous wave crashed against the ship and caused it to tilt to the side.

"Oh no!" Misty was looking out a porthole, "It's a big storm."

"It'll be tough to get back with waves like this," Brock said.

"What!" Misty exclaimed shock, "Is the ship going to sink?"

"No, the captain said that this ship is unsinkable," Brock soothed.

"That's what they said about the Titanic," Ash muttered.

"What did you say Ash?" Misty asked.

"Hmm? Oh nothing," Ash replied.

The ship rocked again.

The intercom suddenly blared, "This is your captain speaking, will all passengers please make your way to the lifeboats. This is not a drill; the ship is taking on water. Again, will all passengers please make your way to the lifeboats."

Ash immediately knew that everything in his dream was true and knew that he had to save those stranded strangers.

Ash returned all of his Pokémon before crouching in front of Riolu. "There are a bunch of people and Pokémon stranded on the boat, can you help me find them?"

"Rio," he said in determination.

They clasped their left hands together and held their right hands over their hearts. Closing their eyes they worked together to expand their aura, sending it out in waves across the ship. Within his minds eye blue light burst into being, forming into a 3D model of the entire ship. Together he and Riolu searched the entire ship before finally finding them.

' _There!'_ Ash thought, _'Five humans, all trapped together in a cabin in middeck.'_

"Come on Ash, we need to go!" Misty said, "what are you doing?"

Ash opened his eyes and stood up. "I can't Misty," he said, "I can sense five trainer's trapped in their cabin, I need to get them to safety."

"What do you mean sense?" Misty asked, "are you some kind of a psychic?"

"No, but I'm learning how to use aura with Riolu's help," Ash explained shortly, "You and Brock get to a lifeboat and I'll meet you there."

Brock frowned, "No Ash, we're sticking together. We'll help you save them."

"But…" Ash tried to protest, but he was interrupted.

"You don't have any choice," Misty snapped, her redheaded temper starting to show, "You're not the boss of us, and anyway, you'll have a better chance if we help you."

"But…" Ash tried again, but was silenced by an angry glare from Misty, "Alright, let's go." He ran off, deeper into the ship, followed closely by the former gym leaders.

After running down two flights of stairs and navigating through several different corridors, Ash stopped at a T section and looked around in confusion.

"Ash…" Brock said tentatively, "Do you actually know where you're going?"

Ash shrugged helplessly, "The best I can give you is that direction," he said, pointing at the wall they were facing, "About a hundred yards away."

"Well lucky for you, I built a miniature model of the St. Anne when I was young," Misty said, "I'm pretty sure I know which cabin you're talking about and I know the fastest way there."

"Well then lead on my Lady Misty," Ash said with a flourish and a bow. Misty giggled at his antics and Brock rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

Misty ran off down the left path and took a series of lefts and rights without any hesitation. Finally, she stopped outside of a door with a melted handle. Ash rapped loudly on the door, "Hello? Anybody in there?" he shouted.

"Hello? Can you help us, my Magby accidentally melted the door frame and we can't get out," someone shouted back.

"Sure, stand back so I can break down the door," Ash ordered. He turned around and pulled out a Poké ball, releasing it occupant. "Squirtle, please help me. There are people and Pokémon trapped behind this door and the ship is sinking. Please use Skull Bash to get it open."

Squirtle had come out glaring at him, but when Ash described the situation Squirtle didn't hesitate to launch the attack on the doorway and smash it open.

Brock ran in to make sure everyone was okay while Ash turned to his Pokémon. "Thanks you so much Squirtle."

"Squirtle," he grumbled a bit, but was pleased he could help.

"Ok everyone is alright, Misty can you guide us to the nearest Lifeboat?" Brock asked.

"You got it Brock, follow me everyone, this way," Misty ran off down the corridor, followed by the trainers with Brock and Ash bringing up the rear.

After five minutes of trying to make their way through a tilting and listing ship, the eight trainer's burst out onto the main deck and right next to a life boat.

"Everyone this way!" one of the ship's officers shouted. No one hesitated and ran towards the lifeboat. The officer helped them all on board and they clung tightly as the boat was lowered into the raging sea.

* * *

The total crew compliment and passenger count aboard the St. Anne usually averaged about 300 people. At all times there were fourteen lifeboats attached to the ship, each with enough provisions to sustain 25 people for three days, a gas or electric motor that could last just as long, an emergency transponder, and a short range radio to stay in contact with the other boats.

Two hours after the St. Anne officially became the new Titanic, a fleet of 14 lifeboats had congregated together to determine a plan of action. After consulting with the bridge crew, the captain addressed the passengers with his megaphone.

"Attention passengers. At the present time, we are approximately 150 nautical miles from the seaport in Kanto's Lavender Town. At top speed, these lifeboats will be able to reach Lavender town in three hours. If you will please remain patient and calm, rest assured that the crew and I hold your safety as our top priority and we will have you back on dry land as soon as possible. I now ask for a few volunteers among the trainer's we had on board. Those of you with large Water or Flying Pokémon, if you could act as a guard while we make our way back to the mainland it would be most appreciated. Thank you for your cooperation."

Soon a group of water and flying Pokémon had formed in ring around all of the lifeboats. In the sky, trainers were riding their Staraptor or Pidgeot; one even had a Braviary. In the sea, there were trained Gyarados, a couple of Lapras, a Mantine, and even a Wailord. It was an impressive sight to behold.

(AN: To those of you who are sailors or know anything about sailing or being at sea, I just made those numbers up on the spot because I'm too lazy to research the damn subject so please don't skewer me for getting anything wrong like distance or time or speed.)

* * *

 **Thus ends Chap 4.**

 **Again, thanks to everyone who have continued to follow this story and give me reviews of your thoughts. I've noticed that a lot of people are complaining that I'm still giving him a lot of Pokemon and making him strong. I never intended to make Ash weak in this story, I just wanted to slow down his development a little bit more than in The Chosen One's Journey. He will still become strong, he'll just have to work a little bit harder to get there. Also, I've cut back on the amount of Pokemon he had, and I'm limiting the amount of extraregional Pokemon he obtains. He'll still eventually capture all of the same Pokemon, it'll just take longer and in their home regions. Except maybe Nidoking, I'm not sure what to do with him, he was almost a nonentity in my original story and I kept forgetting about him. Eh, we'll see what happens.**

 **Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated, flames will be given to Charmander to play with.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	5. Chapter 5

Ash sat heavily down at one of the dining tables in the Lavender Town Pokémon Center's cafeteria. "Morning Misty," he greeted tiredly, putting down a stack of pancakes to share with Riolu. Misty was already sitting on the other side of the table, eating her own breakfast of waffles and sharing with Pikachu.

She smiled at him, "Good morning Ash," she replied, "Are we heading out today, now that the authorities have let us go?"

Ash shuddered at the thought; it had been two days since the sinking of the St. Anne. Two hectic days of reassuring his crying mother, showing his Pokédex to dozens of officials, getting interviewed by dozens of reporters about his stunt rescuing the five stranded trainers.

Ash shook his head both to rid his head of the memories and answer Misty, "Not yet, I want to go and check out the Pokémon Tower. I'm thinking of trying to catch a Ghost Type."

"Ok," she replied, "I'm thinking of going fishing…"

She was interrupted by a loud shriek of "NURSE JOY!" as Brock went speeding by like a Quick Attack, aimed at the Nurse Joy standing at the counter.

Unfortunately for Brock, his progress was impeded by a feminine hand coming out of nowhere and latching onto his ear. He screamed in pain as his feet flew out from under him and he landed hard on his back.

Ash blinked at Misty, "Nice reflexes," he complimented. She nodded in thanks.

"Anyway," Misty continued as if this was an everyday occurrence (which it was), "There are lots of Water Pokémon that can only be found in the sea, I'm going to try and catch one."

"Well, good luck," Ash said as he finished his breakfast, "I'll see you tonight."

"Alright, see you later," Misty waved.

* * *

Ash stood under a dark and cloudy sky, staring up at the famed Pokémon Tower. Closing his eyes he utilized his new Aura Sight to look at the building more closely. There were dozens of Ghost Pokémon within, but none of them put out a particularly malevolent air, meaning it should be safe for him to enter.

' _Well, here goes nothing,'_ he thought as he pushed the doors open. He walked in with Riolu at his side, the Pokémon also utilizing aura vision. Eyes closed, Ash examined the room. In hues of glowing blue, the entire tower filled his mind's eye.

' _There, on the third floor,'_ he thought, making his way to the stairwell.

Bypassing the second floor, they exited on to the third floor landing and entered a room at the end of the hallway. Looking around with closed eyes, Ash and Riolu could see dozens of ghosts floating around. Near the end of the room, Ash could see a young looking Haunter, floating around in a circle and looking bored out of its mind.

' _That's the one,'_ Ash thought as he and Riolu made their way over.

"Use your Foresight,"Ash told Riolu quietly, "Keep it focused on that Haunter, hopefully the others will leave us alone if we leave them alone."

Riolu nodded in understanding and focused his closed eyes on the Haunter in front of them. It was still ignoring them, believing that they couldn't see it.

Suddenly, Riolu's eyes snapped open and he unleashed a bright red beam of energy that zeroed in on Haunter.

"Haunter?" the Ghost/Poison Type said in surprise as it was forced to reveal itself.

Without giving it a chance to recover its wits, Ash snapped off his next order, "Quick Attack!"

Riolu propelled himself towards Haunter and crashed into it, knocking it against a wall.

"Now, Force Palm!" Riolu's palm started glowing bright white as he leapt towards the dazed ghost. Bringing his palm up to the Haunter's side, it ignited and blasted the Pokémon across the room.

"Alright Riolu, finish it!" Ash ordered. The Emanation Pokémon charged up his newest attack and pelted across the room, slashing his paw down on Haunter. Ash wasted no time in launching one of his Poké balls at the fallen Pokémon.

It absorbed the Gas Pokémon within and snapped shut, rocking rapidly as the Haunter struggled to break free. Finally, after several wiggles it dinged a successful capture.

Riolu picked up the Poké ball and handed it to Ash. "Thanks Riolu, you were awesome." Riolu smiled at the praise and they started making their way out of the building. As they walked Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned his new Pokémon.

" **Haunter the Gas Pokémon, and the evolved form of Gastly. Because of its ability to slip through block walls, it is said to be from another dimension."**

 _Type: Ghost/Poison  
Ability: Levitate  
Gender: Male  
Moves: Lick, Hypnosis, Night Shade, Confuse Ray._

"All right," Ash said to himself, "Look out Sabrina, 'cause here I come."

* * *

Later that night after a particularly intensive training session, which involved breaking Haunter into Ash's training methods, the young trainer arrived back in the Pokémon center. After dropping his Pokémon off with Nurse Joy, Ash looked around for his two friends.

Spying them over at one of the dining tables having dinner, he grabbed a plate of food and sat down next to Brock. "Hey guys, what's up?" he asked.

"Not much," Brock replied, "Did you catch that Ghost Type you were after?"

"Yep, I've got a brand new Haunter on my team," Ash said, "How about you Misty? Catch any Water Types?"

Misty noded, "I caught the most adorable Horsea today while fishing."

"Really?" Ash asked, "Nice, I hear Kingdra are powerful Pokémon."

"Kingdra?" Misty asked in confusion.

"Oh sorry," Ash apologized, "Kingdra is the final evolved form of Horsea; a Seadra will evolve into a Kingdra if you give it a Dragon Scale. It's a Water/Dragon Type and pretty powerful. You don't find them much in Kanto since we don't have an abundance of Dragon Scales."

"Really?" Misty said, "Neat. I never thought I'd get a Dragon Type."

Ash turned to Brock, "Are we ready to head out? I'd like to leave tomorrow morning if possible."

The Pokémon breeder frowned in thought as he reached for his massive backpack. Muttering to himself and rummaging through it, he said, "I don't think I have the proper supplies to make Pokémon food for a Ghost/Poison Type, let's stop by the Pokémart in the morning and I should be all set."

"Sounds good," Ash said.

* * *

The trip to Saffron City took four days. During that time, Ash trained his Pokémon mercilessly, determined to win his fourth Gym Badge. His Pokémon didn't complain, pushing themselves just as hard. Ash also worked on his aura with Riolu, slowly advancing in both of their abilities. In addition to this, Ash had started working his own body alongside his Pokémon. He figured that there was no reason he shouldn't just stand there while his Pokémon did all of the hard work.

When they reached Saffron City, Ash went to the Pokémon Center and gave Nurse Joy his Pokémon. Once they were fully healed, he made his way to the Saffron Gym, ready for his gym battle.

"Do you think you're ready for this battle Ash?" Brock asked as they made their way to the Gym.

Ash let out a sigh, "To be honest, I'm kind of nervous. Rock, Water, and Electric types are one thing, but Psychic types are something else. I'm going to need to be careful 'cause she's going to make me work really hard for this badge."

"Well, I'm glad you're not letting your undefeated status go to your head," Misty commented with a giggle.

"I'm not undefeated," Ash replied, "Lt. Surge beat me the first time I challenged him remember?"

"Yep," Misty said, popping her lips, grinning cheekily at him. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Hey look there's the gym!" Brock said.

Brock was pointing at a large building up ahead with the international gym symbol on it (AN: Look up Gym on Bulbapedia to see).

Entering the building, they were surprised to see it looked completely empty. Ash used his aura sight and a perfect schematic of the whole building filled his mind. He could see several rooms filled with people, all wearing lab coats.

"It's a school," Ash said as he led them to a door around the corner, "A school for Psychics to learn to control their powers." Inside, they could see several people trying to use Telekinesis on spoons or attempting remote viewing on cards.

"Really?" Brock asked, interested, "What do you know about Psychics, is it anything like aura?"

"Not really," Ash said, "from what I understand Psychic power is an extension of the mind, but aura comes directly from the soul. They are two separate energies, similar yet different."

"Interesting," Brock said, looking thoughtful, "where did you learn about aura anyway?"

"At Professor Oak's," Ash admitted, "I was fascinated by the stories of Aura Guardians and read anything I could on the subject. There are a lot of historical accounts, but not many descriptions of what aura is."

Why is that?" Misty asked.

"A reason I've only begun to understand recently as I learn about Aura with Riolu," Ash replied cryptically. He then elaborated, "Aura is incredibly complex, yet at the same time totally simple. It's nearly impossible to put into words what aura actually is. That's why aura is mostly self taught, we simply don't know how to pass on what we know because we can't describe it accurately."

His friends were silent as they digested that. "Come on," Ash said, "Sabrina is this way."

He led them deeper into the building, eventually coming up to a large set of doors. They each had a Pokéball symbol on them, and the Gym symbol was painted on the wall above them.

"I can sense Sabrina behind these doors," Ash said, "She's crazily powerful, it's actually kind of frightening."

Ash pushed the doors open and confidently walked into the room beyond. Just as he thought, it was a battlefield. Sabrina stood on the other side of the field, her face an expressionless mask. Floating above her were three Pokéballs, they were orbiting her head like a moon orbits a planet.

Loudly Ash announced, "I challenge you to a gym battle."

"I accept," Sabrina replied emotionlessly, "step forward."

Ash stood in his battle box with Riolu at his side. The judge stepped into his box and announced the battle.

"This will be a 2-on-2 match between Ash of Pallet Town and Gym Leader Sabrina. Once both Pokémon on either side of the field are declared unable to battle, the match will be finished. Battle begin!"

"Go Mr. Mime," Sabrina said, and one of the Poké balls floating around her flew out to the field and burst open. A Mr. Mime appeared and glared at Ash, "Me. Mime!" it said in challenge.

"Scyther, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted, releasing his Bug type.

"Scyther! Scyther scy!" He shouted at Mr. Mime.

"Alright Scyther, start out with Bug Buzz, let's go!" Ash ordered.

"Scyther!" He responded and started flapping his wings. A loud sound accompanied by red waves of energy erupted from Scyther's wings and blasted out across the field.

"Light Screen," Sabrina said calmly.

Mr. Mime reacted immediately, forming a protective golden cubic barrier around itself. The Bug Buzz slammed into the Light Screen and its effect was drastically reduced.

"Thunder Punch," Sabrina said.

Mr. Mime clenched its fist and charged at Scyther as electricity started crackling around its hand.

"Block it with Fury Cutter," Ash ordered.

Scyther's blades took on a red flow as Scyther brought them up to block Mr. Mime's attack. The two attacks clashed together, and the conflicting energies quickly reacted resulting in an explosion that knocked both Pokémon back.

"Quick Attack!" Ash said.

Scyther got back to his feet and dashed at Mr. Mime with a white flow enveloping him. He crashed into Mr. Mime, sending it skidding back several feet.

"Thunder Punch," Sabrina said again.

Mr. Mime brought his fist up and nailed Scyther in the thorax.

"Scyther!" he cried out in pain as electricity coursed through him.

"Now use Psyshock," Sabrina ordered calmly.

Mr. Mime created a compressed glob of Psychic energy and fired a beam point blank at Scyther. It blasted into him, sending him painfully across the field.

"Scyther no!" Ash shouted fearfully, "Are you alright?"

"Scy...ther," he replied, struggling to his feet.

"Psyshock again," Sabrina ordered.

"Mr. Miiiime!" it shouted as it unleashed another blast of energy at Scyther.

"Dodge it!" Ash cried.

"Scy!" Scyther cried out in defiance as the attack slammed into him. An explosion rocked the field and filled it with smoke. Air filters rumbled into life and quickly cleared away the smoke to reveal Scyther unconscious on the edge of the field.

"Scyther is unable to battle, Mr. Mime wins," the judge announced.

Ash sighed and pulled out his Poké ball to return Scyther. "You did awesome buddy, thank you."

He was about to grab Haunter's Poké ball when Riolu tugged on his jeans. Ash looked down at him in surprise.

"Ri riolu ri ri riolu rio ri," he said, pointing to himself then the battlefield.

"You want to battle? Against the Psychic types?" Ash asked in surprise.

"Ri!" he said, eyes shining in determination.

Ash smiled at him, "Alright let's do it, go Riolu!"

"Arah!" he said, running out to the field and baring his teeth at Mr. Mime. Sabrina lifted a single eyebrow, her first show of emotion since Ash had entered the room.

* * *

"Riolu?" Misty asked incredulously, "Has he lost his mind, he's using a Fighting Type in a Psychic Gym!"

Brock looked thoughtful as he studied the field. "Mr. Mime is really powerful. I suspect that Ash is going for power in this battle and Riolu has been with Ash since day one."

"But why not use Haunter, at least he has a type advantage?" Misty asked.

"Ash just barely caught Haunter, he probably wants more time to work with it before a big battle like this," Brock reasoned, "Also Haunter is part poison type which gives him a severe disadvantage to psychic types."

"Ok, I guess," Misty said, "But he could still choose something other than a Pokémon with a glaring weakness."

"We'll see what happens," Brock said, "Ash probably has a plan for Riolu."

Misty sighed and nodded.

* * *

"All right Riolu, let's start off strong with Quick Attack," Ash ordered.

A white aura enveloped Riolu and he rocketed down the field, crashing hard into Mr. Mime.

"Now use Brick Break!" Ash ordered.

Riolu brought his glowing paw down on Mr. Mime, shattering the Light Screen and hitting it in the shoulder.

"Miiiime," it cried out in pain.

"Use Psybeam," Sabrina ordered.

"Mime mime," the Pokémon said, releasing a blast of multicolored energy. It slammed into Riolu and sent him flying across the field.

"Riolu! Are you alright?" Ash asked.

"Ri!" Riolu sent him a thumbs up, trying to hide a wince of pain.

"Alright, use Shadow Claw!" Ash ordered.

"Ri," he charged at Mr. Mime as a shadowy purple clawed hand formed around his paw. With a battle cry he brought the claw down with a wild slash at Mr. Mime.

The Barrier Pokémon let out a cry of pain.

"Again!" Ash said.

Riolu slashed again, eliciting another cry from Mr. Mime.

"Use Thunder Punch!" Sabrina ordered.

"Mime!" he responded, clenching his fist as it was covered with electricity.

"Counter!" Ash commanded.

Riolu's body started glowing with red energy. Mr. Mime's fist impacted against Riolu and bounced right back into its owner with double the power.

"Miiiime!" it cried out painfully before it collapsed.

There was a moment of silence before the judge lifter his flag, "Mr. Mime is unable to battle, Riolu wins."

Sabrina was stoically silent as her Mr. Mime was returned and the Poké ball returned to its orbit around her. Then another Poké ball was launched out and it's occupant released. Out of the ball formed a Kadabra, the evolved form of Abra.

"Use Future Sight," Sabrina said immediately.

Kadabra's eyes glowed for a moment, then he gave a nod, "Kadabra."

"Good, now use Charge Beam," Sabrina ordered.

Kadabra brandished his spoon and unleashed a stream of blue electricity at Riolu.

"Dodge it and use Shadow Claw!" Ash ordered.

Riolu leapt to the side of the Charge Beam and rushed at Kadabra, slashing at it with a shadow infused clawed paw.

"Teleport," Sabrina said.

Kadabra vanished in an instant, and Riolu slashed through empty air.

"Ri?" he said in confusion, even as Kadabra appeared behind him.

"Behind you!" Ash shouted.

Riolu turned and slashed, but Kadabra had vanished yet again.

"Now use Charge Beam," Sabrina said.

Kadabra had appeared to Riolu's right and launched another Charge Beam at him. This time it hit, and Riolu yelled in pain as electricity surged through him.

Suddenly, a wave of Psychic energy surged across the field and slammed into Riolu. "Riiiiiiiiii" he bellowed.

"Riolu, stay strong!" Ash shouted, trying to stem the panic that was coursing in his veins. Why did he agree to have his fighting type battle these psychic types? _'Wait,'_ he thought, _'psychic types. It's obvious that Sabrina is a Psychic too, is she using her powers to fight? Because I have powers to.'_

Here Ash closed his eyes and released his aura. It washed out in waves across the room and a blue tinted vision of the field filled his mind's eye. Riolu perked up as he felt Ash's aura and a smile grew on his face. New energy filled his veins as he realized that they had an advantage over their opponents.

In a calm voice, and with his eyes still closed, Ash said, "Alright Riolu, lets finish this."

"Ri," he said, closing his eyes and looking at the world through his aura.

To their surprise, Sabrina actually smirked, "Well, now things have become interesting."

"Shadow Claw," Ash ordered once again.

"Teleport," Sabrina ordered.

Riolu charged his Shadow Claw and made to slash at Kadabra but it vanished.

"To your left," Ash said, already 'seeing' the psychic energy collecting in preparation for Kadabra's reappearance.

Eyes still closed, Riolu turned and slashed just as Kadabra appeared, causing the Psi Pokémon to cry out in pain.

"Use Future Sight," Sabrina ordered, a bit of emotion coloring her voice now.

Kadabra's eyes flashed as it foresaw an attack on Riolu.

"Shadow Claw again, followed by Force Palm," Ash said.

Riolu slashed at Kadabra again, too quickly for it to dodge. He then quickly followed through with a Force Palm and blasted Kadabra across the field.

"Use Confusion," Sabrina ordered.

Kadabra slashed with his spoon, unleashing a shockwave of psychic force that blasted into Riolu. He cried out in pain, but stubbornly held his ground against the attack.

When the attack ended Riolu was barely standing, but standing he was.

"Alright, lets finish this," Ash said, "Riolu use Reversal!"

Grinning painfully Riolu gave a nod, "Ri!"

Eyes still closed, his body gained a deep red glow. The glow quickly grew bigger before flowing down into Riolu's hands where he launched it in a beam of energy straight at Kadabra. Just as the attack hit Kadabra, another wave of psychic energy washed across the field and crashed into Riolu.

Both Pokémon bellowed in agony from the respective attacks, and everyone was surprised that they were both still standing at the end. Each panted heavily, fatigue heavy in their shoulders as they struggled to stay standing.

Ash tried to focus his aura on Riolu, _'Come on Riolu, I know you can do it. I believe in you,'_ he thought.

Riolu seemed to have heard him, because he straightened ever so slightly, while Kadabra finally collapsed to the ground.

There was a moment of stunned silence before the referee lifted his flag, "Kadabra is unable to battle, Riolu wins. The victor is the challenger!"

"Yes!" Ash shouted he rushed out to Riolu and scooped him up in a hug just as he was collapsing from exhaustion.

"We did it buddy, you did it!"

"Ri riolu riolu ri!" he agreed, weakly hugging Ash back.

"You were awesome," Ash said.

"Well done," a voice said. Ash looked up to see Sabrina standing in front of him. "You've performed beyond any expectations made of you. Thank you for an enjoyable battle. You have certainly earned this badge."

She held up her palm to reveal a small badge in her hand. It had a very simple design, a gold colored circular badge with another circle embedded inside of it.

"Thank you, that was a great battle," Ash said as he took the badge, "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to…I mean, why did you…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Why was I acting like the stereotypical creepy silent psychic?" she asked grinning. Ash nodded sheepishly. "Its an act that I put on to intimidate challengers, keeps them on their toes so they either chicken out or give me a real battle."

"Oh, well it certainly works," Ash said; this smiling Sabrina was even creepier after the silent Sabrina.

"I'm sure," she said, eyeing him with a knowing look. "Good luck on earning the rest of your badges."

"Thanks," Ash said, and he started making his way out of the gym. At the doors, he met up with Brock and Misty.

"Congratulations Ash!" Misty said.

"That was an incredible battle," Brock said.

"Thanks guys," Ash said, "Let's go, I need to get Scyther and Riolu to the Pokémon center."

They nodded and followed him out.

* * *

"Alright Squirtle, I've had enough of your attitude," Ash said with a sigh.

"Squirtle," he said, launching a water gun at him.

Ash ducked under the attack, having gotten quite good at dodging over the past several weeks.

"Come over here Charmander," Ash said.

Charmander came trotting over, "Char, charmander?" he said questioningly.

"How about a deal Squirtle," Ash said, "if I beat you in a battle with Charmander, you cut this attitude and start listening to me. If you win, then I'll release you. Deal?"

Squirtle thought if over for a moment before agreeing. They moved to different sides of the field, Charmander and Squirtle squared off against each other, glaring heavily.

After a brief stare down, Squirtle started off the battle by firing a Water Gun at Charmander.

"Dodge!" Ash quickly commanded. Charmander leapt to his right and the Water Gun sailed harmlessly past him. "Flamethrower!" Charmander took a deep breath and exhaled a huge column of flames at the water type.

Squirtle gave a cocky laugh just before the Flamethrower hit him. Charmander kept the flames up for a full minute with no sign of Squirtle. He cut the attack with a cry of delight, Ash however narrowed his eyes. _'That was too easy,'_ he thought.

When the flames died away, Charmander expected to see a fried turtle. Instead he saw a mostly undamaged shell.

"He used Withdraw to escape damage," Ash said, impressed.

As soon as the last of the flames disappeared, Squirtle started spinning at a quick rate. So fast that he lifted off the ground, and started rocketing towards Charmander.

"He's using Rapid Spin, quick Charmander counter with Metal Claw," Ash yelled.

Charmander leapt back to give himself an extra moment and began charging his Metal Claw. Before he could get full power, Squirtle slammed into him and he was thrown across the field.

Squirtle quickly stopped his attack and launched another Water Gun. The water slammed into Charmander before he could react. Charmander screamed in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Come on Charmander, don't give up now!" Ash encouraged, "Get up and use Dragon Breath!"

Charmander struggled to his feet and launched a blast of green flames at Squirtle.

Squirtle rolled his eyes and used withdraw again, defending himself from the dragon fire.

Ash saw an opening, "Don't stop the attack," he ordered, "get in close and use scratch when he comes out of the shell."

Charmander nodded and slowly started walking forward while trying to keep up the attack. When he got three feet from Squirtle, Ash could see the strain Charmander was exerting in order to keep up the attack.

"You can do it Charmander, you're doing great!" Ash encouraged.

Two feet away, Charmander finally cut the Dragon Breath attack and started charging a powerful Scratch attack. As the green flames washed away, Ash could see several burns on the shell and when Squirtle popped out, he winced slightly in pain.

Squirtle's eyes widened when he saw Charmander standing right in front of him, he could only watch as the Lizard Pokémon brought down his claws and slashed him across the chest. Squirtle went flying across the clearing from the blow.

Charmander was visibly panting as he wearily watched the cloud of dust that Squirtle had caused when he landed.

Suddenly, Squirtle erupted head first from the dust cloud, his head covered in a white aura of energy as he used Skull Bash.

"Oh no, Charmander get out of there!" Ash yelled in a slight panic.

Charmander tried to run out of the way, but he was still too weak from continuously using Dragon Breath like he did. The Skull Bash attack hit him square in the chest and he was sent flying across the clearing and smashed into a tree where he crumpled at its base.

"Charmander!" Ash yelled, "Are you ok?"

Charmander didn't respond, nor did he even move.

Ash had eyes only for Charmander's small form. "Come on Charmander, I know you're still awake, you can do it!"

Hearing Ash's voice, Charmander began struggling to stand back up. "Your doing great Charmander," Ash encouraged, "just a little more."

Charmander was on one leg, just about to stand fully when he stated faltering. Seeing this, Ash shouted, "Come on Charmander, just one more leg. You can do it, I believe in you!"

Hearing Ash's last words, Charmander summoned the last of his strength and stood up. He gave Ash a smile and a thumbs up before turning a glare on a still stunned Squirtle.

Ash gasped as Charmander's entire body erupted in a fiery red aura. "That's Blaze!" Ash said in shock. He then grinned, "Alright Charmander, lets finish his up quick, use Flamethrower!"

Charmander nodded. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled an enormous column of flames that literally lit up the sky. Squirtle was so surprised by the size of the attack that he forgot to withdraw, taking the full brunt of the attack.

"Squirtle!" he shouted in pain as the flames washed over him.

As the flames died and the smoke cleared, it was to reveal a fully knocked out Tiny Turtle Pokémon.

"Awesome!" Ash shouted. He rushed out and gave Charmander a hug. "That was amazing Charmander, I'm really proud of you," he said. Charmander smirked, letting Blaze die away. Suddenly, his body erupted with an intense bluish white light that radiated energy and his body started changing shape.

"H…he's evolving!" Ash said in absolute shock.

When the glow died, a new Pokémon was standing in Charmander's place. Ash pulled out his Pokédex.

" **Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Charmander. Charmeleon mercilessly destroys its foes using its sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a bluish white color."**

"Charmander, I mean Charmeleon, that's amazing!" Ash said with excitement.

Charmeleon agreed, so much that he turned and launched a flamethrower right into Ash's face.

"Whoa!" Ash yelled, jumping back barely in time to dodge the attack.

"Hey what was that for?" Ash demanded.

Charmeleon just snorted and turned his head. Ash frowned, "Charmeleon?"

He didn't respond.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone," Ash said, trying to keep the hurt from his voice. What had he done?

Instead he turned to Squirtle and started treating his wounds. The water type came around as Ash finished and he gave a pouting sigh, but didn't try to Water Gun Ash again. Ash just smiled at him, "I'm not giving up on you Squirtle, I'll get through that hard shell of yours eventually. We'll be the best of friends I promise you."

"Squirtle," he said petulantly, but that was it.

Grinning, Ash decided that now would be a good time to report to Sam he pulled out his Pokénav and called him. He answered after the fifth ring. "Ah, hello Ash, how are you doing?"

"Just fine Sam, I was just calling to check in. I recently won my fourth badge from Sabrina," Ash said.

"Excellent work," Sam said, "However, your behind the rest of this year's Pallet trainers, I found out this morning that they all have five badges and have passed through Celadon City."

Ash just shrugged at this information, "I probably take more time to train everyday than they do, so I don't travel as fast. Also Gary is in that car, kind of difficult to compete with that."

"Hmm," Sam nodded conspiratorially, "Speaking of Gary, he's already captured thirty Pokémon as opposed to your nine."

Ash shrugged again, "Good for him, I'm a bit more selective in what Pokémon I capture. I assume he's the type to capture everything he sees?"

"That's about right," Sam confirmed, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a different way to train, he has a much larger variety of Pokémon to chose from when he battles."

Ash nodded in agreement, "I never said there was, it's just not my style."

Sam nodded, "Where are you calling me from by the way?"

"Route 7, I'm about four days away from Celadon City," Ash said.

"Well, good luck in the Celadon gym," Sam said, "A word to the wise, the Celadon Gym leader, Erika, is famous for her perfumes. However, her gym trainers are also notorious for refusing battles to anyone who insults her perfumes. On the other hand, a gym leader risks losing their gym by refusing battles without good reason."

Ash looked thoughtful, "I'll keep that in mind professor, thank you."

"Goodbye Ash," Sam said and he signed off.

Ash looked over at Charmeleon, who'd laid down and was generally ignoring everyone else. He sighed, hoping that this wasn't going to be a major problem.

* * *

 **Thus ends Chapter 5...**

 **I've been receiving several requests to put a poll up for Pearlshipping. In answer to that I have to say no, and furthermore absolutely not. I think Pearlshipping is just...no. Ash and Dawn do not belong together in my opinion and I will never willingly write a Pearlshipping fic, reading one is hard enough.**

 **I've recieved other reviews telling me that I've basically copied from my original story. Yes, yes I have. This is a rewrite, not an entirely new fic. I've copied several sections from The Chosen One's Journey, written in new things, changes things to make it cannon, and skipped a few things.**

 **Sorry for the rant there, I just had to get that off of my chest.**

 **Anyway, thanks to everyone who've continued following this story and left their reviews. They are always appreciated. Flames however are to be fed to Charmeleon.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	6. Chapter 6

"What's that smell?" Misty asked, sniffing the air.

"Its heavenly," Brock added.

Ash and Riolu sniffed the air, "It smells like perfume," Ash said.

"Riii," Riolu added dreamily.

Turning, Ash was just in time to see Brock running off, tracking the perfume smell. Ash and Misty glanced at each other and followed him. They eventually came to a little perfume shop where they found Brock with his face planted against the window.

Misty sighed in exasperation while Ash looked at him in amusement.

' _He's never getting a girlfriend it he keeps acting like that,'_ Ash thought.

As Ash followed Misty into the store, he was immediately assaulted by a cacophony of scents. They all seemed to mix together, creating an overly fragrant aroma that was threatening to give him a headache. However, remembering Sam's advice he withheld his opinion and stayed silent as Misty talked to one of the clerks.

"Can I help you with something?" a voice asked.

Ash turned to see a woman with dark blue shoulder length hair looking at him. "Oh, sorry no. I'm just here with my friend," he gestured to Misty. "My name is Ash, I'm a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet town."

The woman's face lit up, "Well, a pleasure to meet you, my name is Erika," she said, "I'm the Celadon Gym Leader and this is my perfume shop." She looked piercingly at Ash, "Are you here to challenge me to a battle?"

Ash grinned and nodded, "Yes ma'am, I am."

"Then follow me," she walked out and headed down the street with Ash following. Misty stopped just long enough to grab Brock by the ear and drag him along, hopping and moaning.

Erika lead them to a large building shaped very similar to a Gloom.

"I take it you like Gloom," Ash commented, staring at the gym.

"Yes, my Gloom is very precious to me," she confirmed.

She led them inside and to a large battlefield surrounded by trees and shrubs. Erika walked over and stood in her trainer's box while Ash took the other. One of the women he'd seen working in the perfume shop stepped up to the judges box.

"This shall be a three on three Pokémon battle between challenger Ash of Pallet Town and Gym Leader Erika. Only the challenger may exchange Pokémon at any time. Trainers, release your Pokémon."

"It's time to shine Tangela!" Erika threw out a Pokéball to reveal a blue tangle of vines with red feet and eyes.

"Alright Dratini, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted, releasing his Dragon Pokémon.

"The challenger has the first move, battle begin!"

"Dratini, start off with Agility to get close then use Thunder Wave!" Ash ordered.

Dratini vanished in a blur of movement and reappeared right next to Tangela. He unleashed a wave of low-level electricity on Tangela and paralyzed the Vine Pokémon.

"Oh no Tangela!" Erika cried, "Quick use Vine Whip while its close!"

Tangela extended one of the many vines on its body and started whipping Dratini.

"Tini tini," the Dragon Pokémon cried.

"Use Twister!" Ash ordered.

Dratini twisted its body around and formed a cyclone of wind that blasted Tangela back.

"Now, finish it with Flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

Dratini took a deep breath and fired a blast of flame directly at the Vine Pokémon.

"Tangela, get out of the way!" Erika yelled.

Tangela tried to move, but at that moment the paralysis activated and froze it. It watched helplessly as the flamethrower enveloped it and knocked it out.

"Tangela is unable to battle, Dratini wins!" the judge announced.

"Tangela return," Erika recalled her fallen Pokémon. She grabbed another Pokéball, "Weepinbell go!"

The Flycatcher Pokémon appeared on the field with a flash of blue and white light. "Beelll!" it said determinedly

"Alright Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!" Erika ordered.

Weepinbell started spinning and fired multiple razor sharp leaves at Dratini.

"Protect," Ash snapped.

Instantly a green shield of energy appeared around Dratini and all of the Razor Leaves bounces off.

"Now use Dragon Rage!" Ash ordered.

Dratini fired a dark blue wave of energy that took the shape of a dragon. It rushed down the field and crashed into Weepinbell, knocking it out.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle, Dratini wins!" the judge announced.

"Oh dear, Weepinbell return," Erika returned her fallen Pokémon.

She looked up at her opponent, "Your battle skills are impressive Ash, now lets see how you fair against my most powerful Pokémon, Gloom Go!" she threw her final Pokéball and released a Gloom.

Ash tried not to gag as a terrible stench filled the room. Looking out he saw that Dratini's eyes were watering and decided to return him.

"You did a great job Dratini, but I'm going to need something special to handle this stench."

He pulled out a different Pokéball, "Pidgeotto, to the battlefront!" Ash's Bird Pokémon appeared with a flash of blue energy, already in flight.

"Pidg pidgeotto!" she called, obviously goading Gloom

Ash smirked as Gloom started getting angry. Without any prompting, it pointed the top of its head at Pidgeotto and sprayed a large amount of its stench at the Bird Pokémon.

"Get rid of it with Gust," Ash ordered.

Pidgeotto started flapping her wings, creating a large gust of wind and clearing the air.

"Now use Air Slash!" Ash called.

Pidgeotto's wings started glowing light blue and she gave them a few powerful flaps. Out of the wings erupted several saw disk blades of wind energy that went sailing down to Gloom.

"Gloom look out!" Erika shouted.

Gloom was too slow and the blades crashed around the Weed Pokémon.

"Pidgeooo!" she cawed triumphantly.

However, when the smoke cleared, Gloom was still standing. It looked beat up and exhausted, but it was still ready for a fight.

"Alright Gloom, now let's finish this battle with Petal Dance!" Erika ordered.

Gloom pointed the top of its head directly at Pidgeotto and fired a barrage of pink flower petals in a spiral pattern.

"Use Hurricane to blast it back!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeotto's wings started glowing light blue and she flapped them powerfully. A gale force wind erupted from around the Bird Pokémon and slammed into the Petal Dance. The two attacks stalemated for a moment before the Hurricane won out and forced the Petal Dance back.

The two attacks combined and slammed down onto Gloom, causing an explosion to rock the gym. When the smoke cleared, Gloom was revealed to be unconscious.

"Gloom is unable to battle, Pidgeotto is the victor," the judge announced, "The winner is Ash of Pallet Town."

Ash ran out to Pidgeotto as she landed. "You did a great job, thank you," he said, petting her in her favorite spot: right at the base of her neck.

"Pidgeotto," she said, just before her body exploded with bright light. Ash gasped, jumping to his feet and quickly backing up to give her room. She grew taller, almost tripling in size, the plumage on her head lengthened until it reached her tail, her wings became strong and powerful. The glow died away to reveal a regal and powerful looking Pidgeot.

Ash fumbled in his pocket for his Pokédex.

" **Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidgeotto. This Pokémon flies at Mach 2 speed, seeking prey. Its large talons are feared as wicked weapons."**

"Awesome Pidgeot," Ash said happily, "You are amazing, thank you."

"Pidgeot!" she cawed.

"Return," she was absorbed back into the Pokéball.

Ash looked up to see Erika returning her Gloom to its own Pokéball. She stood up and walked over to him.

"Congratulations Ash, you beat me," she said, pulling something out of her pocket. "I present you with the Rainbow Badge as proof of your victory at the Celadon Gym."

"Thank you," Ash said, taking the badge. It was shaped like a flower, with each of its eight petals a different color of the rainbow, and at its core were four silver petals.

He gave her a respectful bow before turning and leaving the gym to have Pidgeot and Dratini healed at the Pokémon Center.

* * *

"So what is this town called anyway?" Ash asked, craning his neck in an attempt to see the top of any of the skyscrapers that surrounded the group.

"Uh," Brock scratched his head. Hesitantly he said, "HopHopHop Town?"

"HopHopHop Town?" Ash and Misty repeated incredulously.

"Arah?" Riolu said.

"Pika?" Pikachu added.

"I'm serious, you can't make this stuff up," Brock said, still staring at his map.

"Arnold? Arnold!" Ash suddenly found himself engulfed within the bosom of a very distressed woman. "Where have you been Arnold! Mother's been so worried!" she shouted.

"Uh excuse me," came Ash's muffled voice as he struggled free of her grip, "but my name is Ash, not Arnold."

The woman pulled back and took a closer look at him. "Oh I'm so sorry, you look a lot like my Arnold," she said, wilting with despair.

"What happened to him?" Misty asked.

"He's missing," she wailed, "I'm so upset because my son Arnold just disappeared. He's been gone for 3 days! I can't find him anywhere."

Brock frowned, "And you haven't heard from him?"

"Not a word," she replied miserably.

"Could he have gone to become a pokemon trainer?" Ash suggested.

The lady shook her head, "He did like pokemon of course. But he never mentioned about becoming a trainer," she said firmly.

"Don't you think he'll probably come home soon?" Misty asked.

The mother shook her head again, "No. My son isn't the only child who's disappeared recently."

She gestured to a nearby wall where a couple dozen missing posters were hanging, each with a young child's face on it.

"That's so sad," Misty said.

They noticed an Officer Jenny putting up yet another poster and decided to ask her about it. While Jenny was telling them what she knew, Ash suddenly felt a strange wave of energy pass over him. He frowned and looked around, noticing that Riolu was doing the same. It wasn't aura, that much he could deduce, but it was too brief and subtle to get much more than that out of it.

* * *

On Brock's suggestion, they decided to check out the Pokémon Center and ask if the trainers knew anything.

None of them really did, but when they spoke with Nurse Joy she added a new layer to the mystery.

"I wish I could help," she said, "but I have my own hands full."

"Why? What's wrong?" Misty asked.

"All of the Pokémon here have been acting very oddly," she said.

"In what way?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Come to the back and I'll show you," she replied.

She lead them to the back of the center where she was treating her patients.

Everywhere in the room were Pokémon that were acting very sluggish and drained.

"Just look at Cubone . . . and Oddish," she said, gesturing to them. She then placed a Magikarp on the counter, "Even Magikarp is affected, and it's usually full of life." When she had let go, the water type fell over, non-responsive.

"The magic's disappeared," Misty said, looking surprised.

"The flame on this Charmander could go out any minute," she continued sadly.

The gang gasped in worry at the sight of the weak flame on the fire type.

"And this one has just been in terrible shape," Joy says, holding up a yellow duck like Pokémon that held its head in pain.

"Psy-ya-yay," the Pokémon moaned.

"A Psyduck," Ash said in surprise. He looked it over, but didn't see anything wrong with it, aside from its species perpetual headache of course.

"When did all of this start?" Jenny asked.

"Three days ago," Nurse Joy said.

"That's exactly when all of the children disappeared," Misty said in surprise.

Suddenly Ash jerked when he felt those energy waves again, though this time much stronger. "There it is again," he said, looking around.

"There what is?" Misty asked. Suddenly on her shoulder Pikachu started slumping in exhaustion. "Pikachu?" She questioned, holding her electric type.

"Pika," he mumbled.

Then Riolu started slumping. "Riolu," Ash said in alarm. He grabbed Riolu's paw and focused his aura, "come on buddy fight it. Use aura to protect yourself."

Riolu shook his head to try and clear it and concentrated, a brief blue aura covered his body as his power manifested before it faded from the visible spectrum and he perked up.

Ash now knew that it was some form of Psychic energy doing this. He could even pinpoint its source now.

Officer Jenny was fiddling with a grey device, "it's detecting something," she said to herself.

"Is that a handsome guy detector?" Brock asked in an attempt at roguish charm. He failed miserably.

"It's a sleep wave detector," Jenny said, not even noticing his blatant attempt at flirting. Brock collapsed comically.

"That must be what is affecting these Pokémon, and if my hunch is right, causing the children to go missing," Ash said.

* * *

They followed the Sleep Waves to their source, a large mansion built on the roof of a massive skyscraper. With her prey finally at hand, Jenny kicked in the door and came face to face with...a large gathering of rich people all looking at her in surprise.

A gentleman wearing a tophat and monocle stepped forward and hesitantly asked, "Are you here to join the Pokémon Lover's club?"

"Er no," Ash responded, "we were trying to track the source of the sleep waves that have been irradiating the city for three days now."

"Sleep waves?" The man repeated, then his face lit up, "oh that must be from our Hypno." He gestured to a table in the middle of the room where a Hypno and a Drowzee were sitting comfortably together.

"Let me guess, your Hypno evolved three days ago?" Ash asked.

"Why yes," the Gentleman said proudly, "all of our hard work finally paid off."

"Why is your Hypno using so many sleep waves that it's affecting the whole city?" Ash asked, "the Pokémon in the Pokémon center have been terribly drowsy and children are missing. And it all started when you're Hypno evolved."

"Oh dear," the man said, his eyes widening, "we never meant anything like that to happen. We have been having Hypno put us it sleep. Living in the big city like this has made us all terrible insomniacs and we were hoping Hypno's hypnosis could replace our sleep medication."

"Well it's a good idea in theory," Misty said.

"But it's become a major problem for everyone else in the city," Brock said.

"Normally it wouldn't be an issue," Ash said, "but since Hypno has modified his attack to work on humans it's created this unfortunate side effect."

"So now we know the cause," Jenny said, "we just need to find the missing children and cure whatever is affecting them."

"Well the cure will be simple enough," Ash said, "Drowzee here should be able to reverse whatever Hypno has done. As for the children..." He trailed off, hesitant to speak his idea.

"What is it?" Brock asked, "do you have an idea?"

"Well, if one of us would volunteer to be hypnotized by Hypno, they might lead us directly to where the rest of the children are," Ash said, "assuming they are all in the same place."

"That's actually a pretty good idea," Misty said, "I'll do it."

She stood in front of Hypno and he started swinging his pendulum back and forth, casting his hypnosis. Misty's face blanked and quite suddenly she started clapping her hands. "Seel, seel, seel, seel," she repeated, and ran right out of the mansion.

"Come on, we can't lose her," Ash said, running after her with Riolu.

They followed Misty all the way to a park in the middle of the city. There they found every single one of the other missing children, each and every one of them acting like various Pokémon.

"This is crazy," Brock said.

"It's all of them," Officer Jenny said, doing a headcount and looking relieved.

"Well it's up to you and Drowzee," Ash told the gentleman, who'd brought Drowzee with him.

"Very well," he released Drowzee and got to work.

Within half an hour, all of the children had been woken up from their trances and Officer Jenny called their parents to collect them. While she was dealing with that, the Gentleman brought Drowzee to the Pokémon Center where he reversed Hypno's effects on the Pokémon in Nurse Joy's care.

"You know, sometimes I wonder what Pokémon Dream about," Misty said once they had all been cured.

Ash smiled at Misty, "they dream about the same thing everyone does Misty. They dream about where they are going."

"What does that mean?" Misty asked in confusion.

Ash just gave her a smile and turned to look at Nurse Joy, who'd given a sad sigh.

Brock materialized at her side, "What's the matter? A beautiful woman such as yourself shouldn't have anything to be sad about?"

"It's this Psyduck," she said, "everyone's been cured but he's still holding his head."

Brock posed dramatically, "Leave it to me! Caring for pokemon is the sole purpose of my life. The reason, I exist!" he cried out.

"Well than maybe you can help him?" Nurse Joy said with a grateful smile.

Brock looked at Psyduck awkwardly, perhaps suddenly realizing what he got himself into.

They left the Pokémon Center with Psyduck following Brock. "What have I gotten myself into?" he bemoaned.

"You're the one who said 'leave it to me' Brock" Misty said with a grin.

"Look at it this way," Ash said, "it will be a good challenge for your Breeder skills."

Brock sighed, "I suppose." He pulled out a Poké ball and gently tapped it against Psyduck's head.

"Psyyy," he said as he was absorbed into the Poké ball. It dinged instantly, sealing the capture.

* * *

"So why did you want us to come here?" Ash asked as they walked down Scissor street.

"You'll see," Brock said distractedly as he looked around.

"There sure are a lot of Pokémon Beauty Parlors around here," Misty said, gazing around. She was right of course, there were quite a few Parlors all dedicated solely to Pokémon. The Pokémon exiting several of them looked quite amazing, others...not so much.

Brock however didn't seem to see any of this, his head was swiveling this way and that in search of something in particular.

"Looking for something Brock?" Ash asked.

Brock grunted in response.

"Oh I remember," Misty suddenly said, "Scissor street is also called Breeder's lane."

"Ah," Ash said in understanding, "that explains it. Brock is always interested in the latest Breeder gear."

They continued walking down the street, pointing out different fashions when Brock suddenly cried, "there it is!" He broke into a run and went straight to a quaint little shop with an image of a Vulpix on the front door.

However as he reached to open the door he froze, seemingly unable to strike up the nerve to enter.

"Is this where you wanted to go Brock?" Ash asked.

"What's got you so nervous?" Misty asked. They walked past him into the shop.

"Hi. May I help you?" A young woman stood at a massage table, working rhythmically on a Chansey. Brock gave a yelp and sped in behind his friends where he stared at the woman in awe.

"Just relax and release all of your tension," she said to the Pokémon as she finished up. "There, now you'll have more energy." Chansey hopped off the table and looked happily into a mirror.

The door to the shop opened and a man...or woman...or man...something came waltzing in, "Chansey I've come for you darling!" it announced dramatically.

The gang watched in shocked silence as Chansey's trainer settled the tab before leaving. "See you soon Suzie." "Chansey."

"May I help the next customer?" Suzie asked.

"We were just browsing," Ash said, "but after seeing what you did to Chansey I might just have you do Riolu here."

"Ri Riolu!" He said nodding in agreement. He leapt up onto the massage table and laid down.

Ash laughed, "I guess you'd may as well."

"I'd be happy to," Suzie said.

As she started massaging Riolu, Misty noticed a Vulpix sleeping contentedly on a nearby chair. "Oh isn't it just the cutest thing," she squealed, "don't you just want to hug it?"

"Pikachu," her electric type said in agreement.

"Oh I wish I had hair like Vulpix, so soft and luscious," Misty said dreamily, reaching for Vulpix.

"Don't touch it..." Suzie suddenly cried out, but it was too late.

Misty had picked up Vulpix, "You're just about the cutest Pokémon I've ever see..."

"Vuuuuul," it cried out, unleashing a massive flamethrower in Misty's face. Pikachu just barely managed to jump free of Misty's shoulder and dodge the attack. Misty collapsed in shock.

Vulpix merely hopped back up to its chair, yawned, and went back to sleep.

"Please pardon Vulpix," Suzie said, bowing apologetically to Misty, "she doesn't like being held by strangers."

"I wish I'd known that sooner," Misty croaked.

Brock shuffled up behind Suzie and hesitantly said, "Uh, Suzie..."

"Yes?" she responded.

Brock stood ramrod straight, a blush on his face, and sweat on his brow. "Uh, My name's Brock. Nice to meet you, Suzie. Uh, I wanna breed like you. I, I mean, I wanna be a breeder like you," he stammered out.

"It's very nice to meet you, Brock. I'm flattered you want to make me your model," Suzie replied politely as she continued massaging Riolu. The fighting type was steadily melting into a puddle of goo under her ministrations.

"Yes, I wanna model you. I-I mean, I'm flattered that you're flattered. I-I mean, you Vulpix is nice," Brock continued to stammer.

Ash and Misty looked at all of this with confusion on their faces.

Brock's blush continued to grow as he said, "What I'm trying to say is... Suzy I'm begging you to accept me as your pupil!"

"Huh?" Everyone said in surprise.

After a stunned moment Suzie replied, "I don't take on any pupils, breeding takes all my time."

"Wow Brock," Ash said, "I didn't realize you wanted something like this. But why Suzie specifically?"

Instantly Brock exploded into a tirade about "The Sensational Suzie of Scissor Street." How she had won the trophy for excellence at the world Pokemon breeder contest three years in a row, how breeders of Pokemon Magazine named her THE most popular breeder four years running, and about her hugely popular website which records up to ten thousand hits per day.

"That's pretty impressive," Ash said blinking.

"Riii," Riolu said dreamily, still having his back rubbed.

* * *

After finishing Riolu's massage, Suzie served them all some tea.

"So all three of you are on a Pokémon Journey together?" Suzie asked as she sat down.

Off to the side Brock had set a small bowl of Pokémon food down for Pikachu and Riolu to enjoy.

"Yes," Ash said, "I'm also a field researcher for Professor Oak. Misty is a Water Pokémon Trainer and I'm sure you realize that Brock is a breeder."

"Well I must say that I'm impressed by how shiny your Pokémon's coats are," Suzie said, gazing at Riolu and Pikachu, "They look well cared for. Do you make their food Brock?"

"Uh well yes," Brock stuttered out.

"It's his own recipe too," Misty said proudly, "My Pokémon never liked their food so much before they started eating Brock's."

"I see, it was Pokémon nutrition that first peaked my interest in breeding," Suzy said.

Suddenly Vulpix joined the other Pokémon at the bowl. She took a small bite and began chewing it. After a moment she swallowed and gave a smile, "Vull!" she said and began eating with the other two.

"Wow," Suzie said in surprise, "I am impressed. Vulpix has never eaten any food I haven't made her myself."

"Oh wow," Brock said with stars in his eyes, "Suzie's Vulpix likes my food. I'm honored Vulpix." He tried to bow lowly to the Pokémon, but apparently forgot that he was sitting at a table and managed to bash his head against it's hard surface. "I'm...unworthy..." he groaned out.

Ash rolled his eyes as Suzie and Misty giggled.

"Well, after seeing what you did to Riolu, I might have to ask you to give Pikachu here a massage," Misty said.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to teach us," Ash said hopefully, "It would be great to give my Pokémon messages after some of their big battle or heavy training."

"I would be happy to," Suzie said with a warm smile, "I'm always glad to help other trainers."

* * *

With Pikachu volunteering, Suzie gave Ash, Brock, and Misty a mini lecture in her massage technique. "Whenever a Pokémon is injured in a battle, it's important to massage the area to help relieve the tension that has accumulated. Some Pokémon have areas where their energy concentrates, such as Pikachu's electric sacks, it's also important to massage those because they can get especially tense both after an intense battle or if they haven't battled for a while."

Brock was scribbling out notes on everything Suzie said and did while Ash and Misty merely watched closely. As Suzie lectured, people off of the street began coming into the store, watching in interest. Quite a crowd had grown in the shop by the time she wrapped up.

"Good communication between Pokemon and their trainers is essential. These techniques builds trust and bring out a Pokemon's personality."

Brock then added, "I think Suzy will agree with me that any technique is only as good as the trainer or breeder who uses it."

The crowd started applauding as Pikachu hopped up and bounced around energetically before returning to Misty's shoulder.

"Thank you everyone," Suzie said with a humble bow.

Later that evening as the group were getting ready to head to the Pokémon Center for the night, Suzie came up to Brock. After spending the day with her and exchanging tips and lessons on breeding he was more comfortable in her presence, but he was by no means ready to act familiar with her.

"Brock, I was very impressed by what you've shown me today," she said, "you have the makings of a great breeder I can promise you that."

Brock gaped at her, "Uh, I mean uh, thanks Suzie, that means a lot to me," he stammered out.

"I'd also like to ask you a favor," she said.

Vulpix suddenly leapt into Brock's arms and curled up into his embrace. The Fox Pokémon had quickly come to enjoy Brock's ministrations throughout the day and seemed to like him as much as she did Suzie.

"I'd like you to take care of Vulpix for me," Suzie requested.

"What?" Brock asked incredulous.

"You're the first person Vulpix has come to like after me," Suzie explained, "I'd be grateful if you could spend some time raising her. At the moment I think you'd do a better job than I could."

"No, I could never do better than you," Brock denied emphatically.

Suzie smiled, "That's sweet of you to say Brock. But I'm leaving, I've decided to take a journey of my own."

"Really?" Misty asked, "What about your salon?"

"There's only so much I can learn in a salon," Suzie said, "I may have won a championship, but there is still much for me to learn. Brock I want you to continue your journey as well, we're rivals from now on. And take good care of my Vulpix."

"I..." Brock swallowed, "I promise you I will take the best of care of her."

"Thank you Brock," Suzie said, handing him Vulpix's Poké ball, "I'm sure you will."

"Vul," Vulpix said, cuddling deeper into Brock's arms.

* * *

"Hey guys, look at this!" Misty was looking at a poster on the Pokémon Center billboard.

Brock and Ash walked up to stand beside her.

"The Pokémon Number One Grand Prix," Brock read, "better known as the P1 Grand Prix, A special tournament run by the Silph Co. specifically for Fighting Type Pokémon. Fully recognized by the Pokémon League as a Minor Single Type Tournament."

"Hey that looks like fun," Ash said, "Registration starts tomorrow, I think I'll enter with Riolu."

"What about you Brock, could Geodude enter?" Misty asked.

"Under the old rules maybe," Brock said, "But since they reclassified the term, only Pokémon that are actually fighting types are eligible. Besides, Riolu would have crushed Geodude into dust."

"Thanks Brock, I think," Ash said, "Anyway, I'm going to go get some training in, you guys coming?"

"I'm going to give my Pokémon a break," Misty said, "It's been ages since I've taken a bath."

"And I've got a new recipe I'm working on for Zubat," Brock said.

"Alright, see you later," Ash said. He walked out the door and made his way to the training fields out back.

"Come on out guys," Ash said, throwing eight Pokéballs into the air. With a bright flash, Scyther, Pidgeot, Jolteon, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmeleon, Dratini, and Haunter appeared before him. Most of the Pokémon looked up expectantly at him, waiting for instructions, but Charmeleon merely gave a yawn and went to sleep.

Ash frowned at Charmeleon, he'd have to work on that Pokémon later. He sighed and returned Charmeleon, resolving to think about it when he didn't have an upcoming tournament to train for.

"Alright Riolu, you've got a battle tournament tomorrow," Ash said, "I want you all to have individual mock battles with each other. Switch partners every fifteen minutes, half strength."

All of the Pokémon got to work, partnering up and throwing attacks at each other.

* * *

 **My apologies for the lateness of today's chapter.**

 **As always thanks for the reviews that you guys send me, I always appreciate them.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	7. Chapter 7

"Hi, may I help you?" the lady at the registration desk asked.

"I'd like to register for the P1 tournament," Ash said.

"Alright no problem," she said with a smile, "I'll need your Pokédex and the Pokéball for the Pokémon you're battling with."

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and Riolu's Pokéball and handed both to her.

"This tournament is restricted to Pokémon that are recognized as at least part Fighting Type," she explained as she registered him, "During battles, only physical Fighting Type moves are allowed. Use of any other moves will result in immediate disqualification."

She handed him back his two items, "You're all set, good luck."

"Thank you," Ash said, he moved off towards the locker rooms with Riolu at his side. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Ri," the Emanation Pokémon replied with a smirk.

"Let's keep this fair, no aura," Ash decided.

Riolu nodded.

They stepped into the Locker rooms and observed the different contestants. Most looked like fighters, boxers, and people wearing a gi.

' _Hmm, I guess I might as well look the part,'_ he thought. Setting his backpack down, he and grabbed a set of clothes he'd bought in Celadon City, then made his way towards a changing room. He came out a couple minutes later wearing a brand new outfit.

He was wearing a black shirt and jeans with navy blue stripes going down the sides of both. On top of that, he wore an ankle-length navy blue overcoat, left hanging open, followed by a blue pointed fedora on his head.

"Nice," he said, glancing in a mirror.

A few minutes later, one of the officials came in, "Will Ash of Pallet and Steven of Nimbasa report to the battle stage."

"Steven?" Ash wondered, looking around. He blinked as his opponent walked up beside him, it was the same Steven he'd battled in the St. Anne. Standing next to him was a three foot tall orange Pokémon. It had a red crest, similar to a Mohawk, on it's head and yellow molted skin hanging around its neck like a hoodie. It also had similar skin hanging off of its legs and tail, looking like pants.

"Hey Steven, long time no see," Ash greeted, holding out a hand.

"Whoa Ash, how's it going? Nice outfit, I like it." They shook hands.

"Thanks, who would have guessed we'd be meeting so soon?" Ash asked.

"I know right, so are you ready for that rematch?" he returned.

"You know it," Ash smirked, "Good luck trying to beat Riolu and I."

"Thanks, but Scrafty and I don't need luck," he smirked. They shook hands again and made their way to the field.

As Ash stepped out to the field, tumultuous cheers from hundreds of fans that'd come to watch assaulted his ears. Looking at the field, he was surprised to see an old fashioned boxing ring.

"They weren't kidding about the Fighting Pokémon," he commented.

"In the red corner," the MC was announcing, "From Kanto's very own Pallet town, we have Ash, and his partner Riolu! And in the green corner, from Nimbasa City in the far off Unova region, we have Steven and his partner, the Hoodlum Pokémon Scrafty!"

The crowd erupted with renewed cheering as the Pokémon made their way onto the field.

Riolu leapt up and somersaulted over the ropes in a single bound. Standing in his corner, he lowered his head and closed his eyes to begin centering his aura and prepare for the upcoming battle.

On the other side, Scrafty had pulled his hood over his eyes and was quietly glaring at Riolu, trying to unnerve his opponent. That Riolu couldn't even see the glare didn't seem to matter.

"And it looks like both trainers are ready to go," the MC shouted, "Without further ado, let the battle begin!"

Instantly Scrafty whipped its hood off and rushed forwards, aiming a Low Kick at Riolu's legs. At the last second, Riolu's eyes snapped open and he leapt over Scrafty in a back flip, landing just behind the Hoodlum Pokémon. As he landed, his leg came whirling around in a Low Sweep and kicked Scrafty's legs out from under it.

"Get up Scrafty, use Brick Break!" Steven shouted.

Scrafty jumped back to its feet as its hand started glowing white. He rushed towards Riolu and karate chopped him in his side.

"Force Palm!" Ash shouted.

Absorbing the blow, Riolu brought a glowing palm up to Scrafty's chest and detonated. The blast knocked Scrafty to the side of the ring, disorienting it for a moment.

"Come on Scrafty, you can do it," Steven encouraged, "get up and use Hi Jump Kick!"

Scrafty managed to stagger to its feet, and shook its head to clear it. When it zeroed in on Riolu, its face grew angry and it leapt into the air. Its knee started glowing red-orange and it aimed down towards Riolu as it fell.

"Steady Riolu," Ash said, "Catch the blow, the use Circle Throw."

Riolu tensed at he watched the kick coming. At the last moment, his arms flew out and latched around Scrafty's leg. He absorbed the blow as he fell on his back and flung Scrafty over his head. Scrafty landed painfully on the other side of the field.

"Now finish it with Power-Up Punch," Ash ordered.

Riolu ran forwards as his fist started glowing orange. He punched Scrafty in the face just as it was standing back up. The power of the blow caused the hoodlum Pokémon to flip over and land on his face, unconscious.

"And that's it for Scrafty!" the MC shouted, "Ash and Riolu have started off this tournament with a bang. Don't go anywhere folks because the next battlers are coming out."

Riolu jumped off the stage while Steven returned his Scrafty.

"That was one heck of a battle," Steven said with a smirk as they made their way back to the locker rooms, "but I promise I'll beat you next time."

"We'll see," Ash said.

They stared at each other with haughty looks for a moment before they burst out laughing.

Steven grinned, "Until next time," he held up a fist.

Ash bumped it with his own, "Good luck," he said.

Ash went to sit back down while Steven left.

* * *

"After many long and arduous battles, we finally come down to the finals. In the green corner, we have the favorite to win, the fighting machine Hitmonchan and its trainer Anthony of the fighting spirit gym. And in the red corner, we have newcomer Ash of Pallet town, who's stormed his way up to the finals with his amazing Emanation Pokémon, Riolu!"

The crowd exploded with cheers as the two Pokémon leapt up to the field. Hitmonchan started bouncing on its toes, performing dry hits while Riolu closed his eyes and focused its aura.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Go Hitmonchan! Mach Punch!" Anthony ordered.

Hitmonchan's fist started glowing brightly as he rushed towards Riolu as fast as a Quick Attack.

"Absorb the blow, then use Low Sweep," Ash said.

Riolu crossed his arms and tensed as the Mach Punch hit him. He then lashed out with his foot and knocked Hitmonchan's feet from under it, sending it to the floor hard.

"Follow up with Brick Break!" Ash said.

Riolu's paw started glowing white and he brought it down towards the Punching Pokémon hard.

"Get out of the way," Anthony yelled.

Hitmonchan rolled away from Riolu and the Brick Break struck the floor, punching a hole in it.

"Now Hitmonchan, use Sky Uppercut!" Anthony shouted.

Hitmonchan rushed Riolu while it's boxing glove glowed light blue.

"Dodge it with Circle Throw!" Ash ordered.

As Hitmonchan made to uppercut him, Riolu fell back and the hit flew over him. At the same time he grabbed onto the Punching Pokémon and threw him over his head, and sending him crashing to the floor.

"Hitmonchan, get up and use Focus Punch!" Anthony shouted.

The Punching Pokémon got to his feet and started charging a Focus Punch.

"It's time to finish this battle," Ash said, "Counter"

Riolu's eyes closed as he focused his energy. A red glow enveloped his body as Hitmonchan brought his attack down. It impacted against Riolu, before bouncing right back and smacking Hitmonchan right in the face. Hitmonchan collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

"And that's it folks," the MC shouted, "Hitmonchan has been defeated, Ash and Riolu are the new P1 Grand Prix Champions."

Ash leapt up to the stage and lifted Riolu's arm to the sky. The crowd roared its approval as a judge came up and placed the golden Championship belt around Riolu's waist.

Brock and Misty came running up.

"Congrats Ash, I knew you could win it!" Brock said.

"Congratulations to you too Riolu," Misty said.

"Thanks guys," Ash said, placing a hand on Riolu's head.

"Riolu!" The Pokémon cheered, his arms in the air.

"I like your outfit, by the way," Misty said.

"Thanks," Ash said, looking down at himself, "I might just keep it on."

"You should," Brock said, "It works for the whole aura guardian thing."

"I will," Ash nodded.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Misty were making their way through a dense forest, trying to make their way to Fuchsia city.

"It shouldn't be too far from here," Brock was saying.

"Where is it?" Misty asked.

"Over the mountain," he said.

Ash blinked and looked around, "Which mountain, we're surrounded by them."

Brock pulled out his map examined it. "Maybe this way…maybe that way…or that way," he was muttering to himself.

Ash sighed, "We're lost again," he muttered.

"Ri," Riolu agreed with a sigh.

"Hang on, there's a road here," Brock said.

"Then let's go," Misty said.

They started walking again, when suddenly an explosion shook the mountain.

"Whoa, what was that?" Misty asked nervously.

"It came from over there," Ash said, already running towards the source.

After running for a few minutes, they came across a large road covered with construction trucks. Up the road, they could see a massive dam being built.

Another explosion shook the valley, and they could see massive rocks being blown away from the mountainside.

Suddenly, one of the trucks near the front of the pack tipped onto its side, causing a massive pileup of all of the trucks.

"What a wreck," Misty exclaimed in shock.

"This is terrible," Brock agreed.

"Come on," Ash said, "Let's go see if they need any help."

The three of them went running down the hill towards the head of the pile up.

As they neared the first truck, a man came stumbling out. "I just can't take it anymore," he cried, pounding his fist on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked as he ran up to the man.

"It's the Diglett!" he yelled, "They are destroying everything."

"Diglett?" Ash asked.

"See they're right over there!" he said, pointing up the road. Sure enough, there were several Diglett moving around.

"Oh look at how cute they are," Misty gushed.

"You think they are cute do you?" the man shouted in fury, "Thanks to them we can't finish building that dam. Grrr, I hate Diglett, I hate them," he said, ripping apart his hard hat.

"That is a problem," Brock said in thought.

"They even created a special division for developing strategies to fight off the Diglett," the worker said, "They're calling for any able Pokémon trainer who's traveling through the area. Someone with real Pokémon knowhow who can help us get rid of these Diglett.

"The reward is a six day seven night stay at the famous Skyva hot springs resort. If you know any Pokémon trainers…"

He was interrupted by the screeching of tires. A red convertible had come speeding up before screeching to a halt before them.

Ash's jaw dropped when he saw who was standing in the car. Gary Oak!

"The first Pokémon trainers have arrived," he said dramatically, "the rest are in these buses." He gestured to four large buses right behind his car.

Ash rolled his eyes, "You never change do you Gary?" he asked.

"Huh? Who are…well if it isn't little Ash from Pallet. What are you doing here?" Gary asked.

Ash scowled, "You're from Pallet too," he said in annoyance.

"Well it must just be an unlucky coincidence," Gary said ignoring his statement, "only the best were invited."

"Then how come you're here?" Ash asked.

"Me? Because I'm Gary from the town of Pallet. The number one trainer," he looked up to the sky as if the light from heaven was raining down upon him. He then pointed at Ash, "Ash is fourth!"

Ash raised his eyebrow, "and what makes you say that?" he asked.

"You were the fourth to leave home," he said.

"Yet I was first to catch a Pokémon," Ash said. Sam had let that little tidbit slip after the first time they'd talked over the Pokénav."

Gary hmmphed, "Fine, but as a trainer, your dead last. Now watch as I step up to the plate and hit a Pokémon grand slam." Around him, his fan club started throwing confetti.

Ash just stared at him incredulously.

"He's very…" Misty began.

"Detestable," Brock finished.

"So Ash, have you picked up any good Pokémon?" Gary asked cockily.

"You have no idea," Ash replied grinning.

"Ri riolu ri ri riolu," Riolu growled at Gary.

Gary frowned, "What's that thing?" He pulled out his Pokédex and tried to scan Riolu.

"What, the great Gary Oak doesn't recognize a Pokémon, what has the world come to?" Ash grinned, knowing that Gary's Pokédex wouldn't recognize Riolu.

"Can we please get to the business at hand?" The construction foreman screamed, "Somebody's got to get rid of these Diglett. Don't forget, a resort vacation!"

"Don't give it another thought sir," Gary said forgetting about Riolu, "Those Diglett are as good as gone now that Gary Oak is on the case."

"Do you always have to refer to yourself in the third person?" asked Ash annoyed.

Gary just got into his car and drove off, shouting, "So long losers."

Ash let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose to try and get rid of his Gary headache.

"Sorry about that," Ash said to his friends, "Gary is Professor Oak's grandson, and it went right to his head. It doesn't help that he actually is really knowledgeable about different Pokémon so he can usually back up his boasting."

"That sounds pretty annoying," Misty said.

"Why doesn't he like you Ash?" Brock asked.

"He's jealous that Sam accepted me as his pseudo apprentice," Ash explained, "He considers me his personal rival, even if he won't admit it."

* * *

The three friends were standing in the middle of a large crowd of Pokémon trainers. All were looking at the foreman as he spoke to them with a megaphone.

"We greatly appreciate all of you talented Pokémon trainers interrupting your training to come here and help us get rid of the Diglett." He pulled down a large sign that had a picture of a Diglett on it with an X drawn across it.

"Pokémon trainers, here you see Diglett. The greatest parasitic Bug Pokémon of the century."

"Just a minute," Gary interrupted, raising his hand. "Technically, Diglett is not a Bug Pokémon. As a matter of fact, the term Mole Pokémon would be more appropriate. With a height of eight inches and a weight of two pounds, they're hardly candidates to be the greatest anything of this century."

"Diglett are also Ground Type Pokémon," Ash added, "Any attempts to attack them as if they were Bug types would end in failure. Also Diglett and their evolution Dugtrio are among the fastest known Pokémon in the world."

Ash smirked at the dirty look Gary shot him.

The foreman continued unheeded, though she shot glares at Ash and Gary for interrupting him, "They may seem to be weak, but together they can destroy..." he suddenly gasped and started shouting, "It's the Diglett! It's the Diglett!"

Everyone turned to see several Diglett had appeared and were attacking the buses that the trainers had arrived in.

Gary ran out and said, "I'll take care of this." He pulled out a Pokéball while his fan club started chanting something about Diglett.

"Now everyone will be able to see the top Pokémon trainer in action." He kissed the Pokéball and threw it, "This should do the trick."

The ball landed out on the field burst open, but before the Pokémon could fully form, it returned itself. "Hey what?" Gary asked said in shock.

Ash narrowed his eyes.

A Diglett suddenly appeared under Gary's Pokéball and brought it back to him. "Oh thanks," Gary said, taking it. Then suddenly he realized what was happening, "Wait, this can't happen!"

"Having trouble Gary?" Ash asked innocently.

Gary glared at him, "Fine, I'll just bring out my best Pokémon. You can handle it," he kissed the new Pokéball three times and threw it, "Go get 'em."

Again the Pokémon refused to come out of the Pokéball. "What's going on here?" Gary asked.

Ignoring the other trainers as they tried to release their Pokémon, Ash knelt down next to Riolu, "Do you know what's going on?" he asked.

"Riolu ri ri riolu ri," he responded. He held his paw out to Ash and he took it in his hand. They closed their eyes and let their aura flow. They stayed like that for several moments before Ash's eyes snapped open in shock. Surging to his feet he rounded on the foreman. "When you finish that dam, what's going to happen to this valley?" he asked.

The man blinked at the question, "It's going to fill up with water, a new lake will form."

"There are hundreds, possibly thousands of Pokémon living in this valley," Ash announced, "Many of which will lose their homes, even die if this dam is completed.

"The Diglett are just protecting their homes and way of life. Just over that rise is a massive garden that the Diglett and Dugtrio have spent their entire lives creating. Building this dam is not only illegal, according to League laws, but also immoral."

As Ash finished his speech, every person in the valley was staring at him wide-eyed. Then, as one, they all rushed towards where he'd pointed, all wanting to see if the garden was real. Ash followed along at the end, himself eager to see the beautiful garden with his own eyes.

When they reached the top of the rise, everyone let out a gasp. There were hundreds of Diglett and Dugtrio, plowing the ground, planting trees, and digging water trenches. All around, water and grass type Pokémon wandered the garden; watering the plants and helping them grow stronger with their spores.

Taking in his fill, Ash knelt down and started petting Riolu.

The foreman was staring at awe. He seemed to understand exactly the kind of destruction finishing his dam would do. He lowered his head in sadness, "This project is canceled, I won't build the dam. I doubt the Diglett would let me anyway."

Ash smiled, his mission accomplished. He sensed a pair of eyes watching him, and he turned to see Gary staring at him with a calculating look in his eyes.

"You know, I might have been wrong about you Ash," he said, surprising the Guardian in training, "You just might be a better trainer than I thought. But you still can't beat me."

Ash smirked, same old Gary, "We'll see about that. I'll see you at the Pokémon league, we can have our epic battle of legends there."

"That's a deal," Gary said, holding out his hand.

Ash shook it, sealing their pact. With that, Gary went back to looking at the garden.

Ash smiled at his rival and childhood friend, it would be nice to have the old Gary back. But he knew it would be a long road.

* * *

"So where is the Fuchsia Gym anyway?" Ash was asking as they made their way through a dense forest.

"I can't believe there's a gym out in the middle of nowhere like this," Misty commented.

Eventually they came out into a clearing to see a massive ancient style mansion.

"That's weird," Misty commented, "A huge mansion out in the middle of nowhere."

"I didn't know any old houses like this still existed," Brock said.

"Well, at least we can ask directions to the gym," Ash said, walking into the courtyard.

He suddenly stopped and looked around, "Can you feel that?" he asked.

"What?" Brock asked.

"It feels like we're being watched," Ash said.

"There are hundreds of Pokémon in the forest around," Brock said, "It's probably nothing."

"Hmm, I guess you're right," Ash said.

They made their way to the front door and slid it open, "Hello, is anybody here?" Ash called.

"Is anyone home?" Misty called.

"It seems deserted," Brock said.

Misty leaned against the wall, and it suddenly opened causing her to fall through.

Ash spun around at her cry. Seeing nothing, he activated his aura sight and saw a passage behind the wall. "A secret door," he commented, pushing it open.

Misty was sitting on the ground, rubbing her but in pain. "What kind of messed up place is this?" she asked.

"It sure isn't your run of the mill mansion," Brock said, examining the passage.

Ash's eyes were closed as he was looking all around. "This place is really messed up," he commented, "There are traps all over the building, invisible walls, is that room slanted? I can also see over a hundred Voltorb, all hidden in little grottos. Ah, there are two humans here, and a Venonat coming around the corner."

They turned to see the Insect Pokémon walk around the corner. Its aura resonated surprise that Ash knew it was coming, but also determination. "Venonat," It said, and then ran past them and into the mansion.

It turned around again, "Venonat!"

Ash couldn't understand Pokémon with his aura, but It's meaning was simple enough. The Venonat wanted them to follow.

Ash turned to Brock and Misty, "What do you think, should we follow it or just leave and try to find the gym?"

"Normally I'd say leave," Brock said, "But we are hopelessly lost, our only chance of finding the gym might be asking these people."

"Can you make sure we don't fall in any traps?" Misty asked.

"Yeah," his eyes were still closed "I can see them all, follow me." He walked off into the mansion.

As they walked, Ash pointed out different traps that he could see. "There's a Voltorb hidden under that panel…that corridor is just an illusion painted on the wall…there's an invisible wall down that hallway…that plank of wood has a pressure sensor."

He finally came to stop in front of a blank stretch of wall. "That Venonat is right behind this wall, and I can see a human in there too. Why is she crouching in the rafters? Wait, I sense the other human is standing in the next room."

"Ash, this place is giving me the creeps," Misty said, "Can we just ask directions and get out of here?"

Ash pushed the door open and walked in, followed by Brock and Misty. The room seemed empty, apart from the Venonat standing in the center of it, but Ash knew otherwise.

"Excuse me," he yelled at the ceiling, "Sorry to intrude, but can you tell us how to get to the Fuchsia Gym?"

There was silence. Ash frowned, "I know you're up there, can you answer me please?"

His only response was barrage of throwing stars.

"Whoa!" Ash shouted. Reacting instinctively, he brought his arms up to cover his face, and a blue shield of energy suddenly formed in front of him. The stars hit the shield and bounced off.

Ash looked at the shield in surprise, how on earth had he done that? He lowered his hands and the shield fell.

A woman wearing a pink ninja suit, dropped from the ceiling. She was looking at him in awe, "An aura guardian? How? I thought you were extinct."

Ash shook his head, "Not extinct, just really rare. Besides, I'm only one in training. And why were you throwing stars at me? You could have hurt us."

"I was surprised and annoyed that you knew where I was," she replied, "my humblest apologies. I am Aya, ninja warrior."

"Accepted," Ash said, "I'm Ash, aura guardian in training and Pokémon trainer, this is Misty, a water trainer, and Brock, a breeder in training.

"And you were hidden really well, but no one can hide their aura. Not even the man on the other side of that wall, listening in on this whole conversation."

Aya turned in surprise to see a wall slide away to reveal a man wearing a dark blue ninja suit, similar in color to Ash's overcoat.

"Greeting's Aura Guardian Ash," the man said as he walked into the room, "I am Koga, Poison Master of the Fuchsia Gym."

"Hello," Ash said, "If this is the Gym, then I challenge you to a battle for the Soul Badge."

Koga nodded, "Very well, I accept your challenge. The battlefield is in the courtyard." He went over to another wall, and opened a passage that lead out to a vast courtyard.

In the middle was a large battlefield. Koga went to stand in the battle box while Aya took position as judge. Ash went to his own box and ran a mental checklist of the Pokémon he had with him.

"This shall be a two-on-two Pokémon battle between Gym Leader Koga and challenger Ash," Aya announced, using the standard battle introduction, "Only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions. The battle will be over when both of either side's Pokémon are declared unable to battle. The challenger has the first move, battle begin."

"I shall start off with Golbat," Koga announced, throwing his Pokéball. The Bat Pokémon appeared with a flash of light, flapping its wings and ready for battle.

Ash gripped a Poké ball and threw it, "Jolteon, to the battlefront!" The ball burst open and released Ash's electric type.

"Jolteon, use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

"Jolt," he said, launching a large bolt of electricity at Golbat.

"Dodge it and use Supersonic," Koga ordered.

Golbat easily maneuvered around the Thunderbolt before unleashing an echoing screech in Jolteon's direction.

"Agility," Ash ordered.

Jolteon vanished from sight in a burst of speed and appeared directly below Golbat.

"Now Spike Cannon!" Ash ordered.

The jagged hair all over Jolteon's body flared out and erupted with spikes that flew in all directions, several of which sliced passed Golbat. It squealed in pain as it tried to fly around the spikes.

"Use Poison Fang," Koga ordered.

Golbat whirled on Jolteon and bit him hard on the flank. Jolteon yelped in pain from the attack, even as a wave of purple energy passed through him.

Ash uttered a curse under his breath, Jolteon had just been poisoned.

"Thunderbolt!" he ordered.

"Get out of there," Koga shouted.

Jolteon reacted at once, unleashing a bolt of electricity straight into Golbat. It squealed in pain and flapped away as fast as it could.

"Now finish it with Take Down," Ash ordered.

Jolteon charged after Golbat with a bronze aura enveloping him and a trail of light in his wake. He slammed into the bat and sending it soaring across the field, where it landed in an unmoving heap.

"Golbat is unable to battle," Aya announced.

Jolteon winced as the poison in him struck.

"Golbat return," Koga said, returning the Bat Pokémon. "And now, Venomoth, into battle," he threw a new Pokéball revealing a powerful looking Venomoth flapping its wings.

"Venomoth, use Bug Buzz," Koga ordered.

Venomoth vibrated his wings and unleashed a sound wave of red bug energy. The wave slammed into Jolteon and he gritted his teeth, weathering the pain.

"Use Swift buddy," Ash called.

"Jolt," he replied and launched a stream of golden energy stars that slammed into Venomoth with an explosion.

Again Jolteon winced from the Poison.

"Use Venoshock," Koga ordered.

"What?" Ash asked in horror.

Venomoth squirted a stream of green slime at Jolteon. It impacted against him and he screamed in pain as it interacted with the poison, doubling its power. He collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

Ash lowered his head as he returned Jolteon. "Thank you buddy, I couldn't have done this without you."

Returning his ball to his belt, he grabbed a new one and threw it, "Squirtle to the battlefront!"

Squirtle appeared in midair and did a fancy little flip as he landed on the field. "Squir squirtle," he said triumphantly.

"Let's do this," Ash said in determination.

"Squirtle," he agreed.

"Venomoth, begin with Psybeam," Koga said. The Poison Moth Pokémon fired a powerful multicolored beam of psychic energy from its eyes at Squirtle.

"Withdraw," Ash ordered.

Squirtle withdrew into his shell just as the Psybeam hit. It blasted him several feet across the field, but he came out still ready to go.

"Now use Aqua Tail," Ash said.

A spiral of water formed around Squirtle's tail and he ran forwards towards Venomoth. He jumped and flipped over, bringing his tail down on Venomoth's head, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Venomoth, use Stun Spore," Koga said.

Venomoth started flapping its wings and released a wave of yellow spores at Squirtle.

"Use Rapid Spin!" Ash ordered.

Squirtle withdrew into his shell and started spinning around at high speed. The wind held the Stun Spore back for a moment, but it was too powerful and enveloped the Tiny Turtle Pokémon.

Ash grit his teeth, seeing the small sparks of paralysis surround Squirtle.

"Use Ice Beam," he ordered.

"Squirtle," he fired a beam of freezing energy and it impacted against Venomoth, freezing a part of its wing.

"Use Psybeam again," Koga ordered.

"Withdraw," Ash said.

Once again Venomoth fired a Psybeam and again Squirtle withdrew to minimize the damage.

"Now use Ice Beam again," Ash ordered.

Squirtle popped out of his shell to launched the attack...and promptly froze in place as the paralysis stopped his movements.

"Now use Air Slash," Koga announced.

Venomoth launched a blade of Flying Type energy straight at Squirtle and it slammed into him painfully, sending him flying back with a crash.

"Come on Squirtle get up," Ash encouraged, "I know you can take more than that."

Squirtle struggled to his feet, eyes blazing. Despite himself he was starting to like Ash, and he didn't want to lose his first Gym Battle with him.

"Squirtle!" he shouted. He brought his hands together and formed a large ball of water before throwing it at Venomoth. Venomoth tried to dodge but it's frozen wing hampered its movements and the Water Pulse impacted against him. It exploded in impact, soaking Venomoth with water and sending him crashing down to the field.

"That's great Squirtle," Ash said proudly, "Now finish it with Skull Bash!"

"Squirtle," he said and charged at Venomoth, an aura of white energy enveloping him. He slammed headfirst into Venomoth with an explosion, knocking him clear across the field and into unconsciousness.

Aya examined Golbat before lifting her flag, "Venomoth is unable to battle, Squirtle wins. Ash is the victor."

"Yes!" Ash cheered, running out to his water type. Squirtle happily leapt into his arms and they hugged triumphantly, "That was amazing Squirtle, thank you so much. You are awesome."

"Squirtle," he agreed.

"Ri riolu ri ri!" Riolu cheered, joining in the hug.

"You have beaten me," Koga said, walking up. He pulled a scroll out of his pocket and unfurled it. Attached to the parchment was a pink heart shaped badge with a line down the middle, "this soul badge now belongs to you."

"Thank you," Ash said bowing, he took the badge from the scroll and placed it in his badge case.

"I wish you luck in your training, young Aura Guardian, farewell," Koga said. He took a smoke pellet out of his belt and smashed it on the ground, covering the area in smoke. When it cleared, a coughing Ash looked around to see that the ninja siblings had disappeared.

"Where'd they go?" Brock asked, walking up.

Ash peered around with closed eyes. "They're on the roof," he said, pointing to the left. "Just out of sight, but not aura sight."

"Well, congratulations Ash," Misty said, "That was quite a battle."

Ash nodded in agreement, "Let's go guys, I need to get Jolteon and Squirtle to the Pokémon Center."

* * *

 **Thus ends chapter 7.**

 **So who all caught that Doctor Who quote in the last chapter ;)...**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for being late with my update. Also I've made a list of captured Pokemon on my profile if anyone is interested.**

 **Thanks again to everyone,**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	8. Chapter 8

"Alright Charmeleon, I've had enough of your attitude," Ash said, glaring at the fire type as it snoozed under a tree. Charmeleon cracked his eyes and glared up at Ash, before firing a Flamethrower. Ash quickly formed a barrier with his aura, something he'd been practicing since leaving the Fuchsia Gym, and blocked it.

"You are not the most powerful member of this team," Ash said, "and this arrogance has got to stop."

Charmeleon just yawned and went back to sleep. Ash sighed, "Fine then. I guess since I didn't battle you to capture you I'll have to do it now. Riolu, use Force Palm."

"Ri," he said. He jumped straight in front of Charmeleon and blasted him with a Force Palm, sending him flying backwards and into the tree.

"Meleon!" he shouted in fury, "Char char charmeleon char."

"I told you I'm tired of this attitude of yours," Ash said, "Now either you cut it out or Riolu and I will battle it out of you."

"Meleon," he growled and fired a flamethrower at Riolu.

"Dodge and use Low Sweep," Ash ordered.

Riolu leapt to the side before charging at Charmeleon. The Fire type saw him coming and charged a Metal Claw attack to swipe at him.

"Switch to Circle Throw," Ash ordered.

Charmeleon slashed, but Riolu suddenly fell back and dodged. He grabbed Charmeleon's paw, placed his feet against Charmeleon's belly and flung him bodily over himself.

"Meleon!" he bellowed as he crashed into the ground. He leapt back to his feet, "Meleon meleon meleon," he stomped his feet to the ground in a tantrum.

Ash sighed, "Charmeleon, this is just childish. Riolu use Vacuum Wave."

"Ri," he said, launching a blade of compressed fighting energy at Charmeleon. It blasted against him and he was flung back even further.

"Char!" he shouted, jumping back to his feet and charging at Riolu with a charging Metal Claw.

"Now use Low Sweep," Ash said.

Riolu ducked under the Metal Claw and swept Charmeleon's feet out from under him, sending him painfully to the ground.

"Meleon, charmeleon," he cried, tears streaming out of his eyes as he kicked and pounded the ground in an epic temper tantrum.

Ash walked over and helped Charmeleon stand up before pulling him into a hug. "There now, it's okay," he soothed as Charmeleon cried his eyes out onto his shoulder. "You're a really strong Pokémon Charmeleon," Ash said softly, "but we're even stronger if we work together. I can't let you battle though if you refuse to work with me. Swallow your pride and let me help you, and together we'll be the strongest ever."

Riolu walked over and patted Charmeleon on the shoulder, "Ri riolu riolu lu ri," he said.

"Meleon?" Charmeleon said, looking up at Ash and Riolu.

"We promise," Ash said.

"Ri rio," Riolu nodded.

Charmeleon stared at Ash for a long moment, before he hesitantly nodded. "Me charmeleon," he said.

Ash smiled, "It's great to have you back buddy."

"Meleon," he said apologetically, looking at the ground and fiddling with his claws.

"It's okay, we forgive you," Ash said, hugging Charmeleon again.

Charmeleon returned the hug before he stepped back and squared himself, "Me meleon Charmeleon!"

"Then let's get training," Ash agreed.

* * *

"Hello, welcome to my Pokémon Center," Nurse Joy greeted, "How may I help you?"

"Can you check our Pokémon Nurse Joy?" Ash asked, holding up a tray with seven Pokéballs and Pikachu. Misty and Brock stood behind him with trays of their own.

"That's my job," she said with a smile. She pressed a button on her desk and a Chansey came out of the back room pushing a cart.

Misty placed her tray on the top level since Pikachu was sitting there, while Brock and Ash slid their trays onto the next two shelves. Riolu hopped up and sat next to Pikachu.

"I'll have them ready for you in a couple of hours," the nurse said as she wheeled the cart into the back.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting hungry," Ash said.

"Me too," Brock said.

"I could go for some lunch," Misty said.

Together they went to the cafeteria and loaded up a few trays of food.

"So, what's the next Gym?" Ash asked.

"We'll normally I'd say the Viridian Gym, but that's recently been reserved for trainers that have seven badges already," Brock said.

"Why don't we head to Cinnabar Island?" Misty suggested, "It's a Fire Type gym."

"Sounds good to me," Ash said as he glanced around, examining all of the other trainers. "Is it just me or are there a lot of trainers with pick axes around?" he asked.

They glanced around, "That's odd," Brock commented.

"I wonder what they're all doing?" Misty questioned.

"Hey," Ash stopped a trainer who was passing by their table, "What's with all of the pick axes?"

"Haven't you heard?" he asked, "They've discovered Pokémon fossils in Grampa Canyon. They're hiring trainers to help dig them up and you get to keep one of the fossils you dig up."

"Good to know, thanks," Ash said turning back to his friends. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Sounds interesting," Misty said.

"Let's go check it out, most fossil Pokémon are rock types," Brock said.

"'Kay, we can head out once Nurse Joy is finished with our Pokémon," Ash said.

* * *

The trio stood on top of a ridge, overlooking the dig site in Grampa Canyon.

"That's a lot of trainers," Ash said.

"We'd better hurry before all of the fossils are dug up," Misty said.

"That's odd," Brock started, "All these people digging, and yet nobody's found any fossils yet. I wonder if this great fossil rush is really for real."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Ash said. He started making his way down to the canyon floor, followed by his friends.

"Can your aura find fossils?" Misty asked.

"I should be able to," Ash said, "Fossils were once living things, so there should be at least some residue for me to pick up."

They'd reached the bottom of the canyon and Ash made his way towards the center of the dig site while Brock and Misty went to talk to the archaeologist's.

"Hey is that you Ashy-boy?" an annoyingly familiar voice suddenly asked.

Ash turned to see Gary standing a few feet away. He was wearing an outfit reminiscent of Indiana Jones with a pickaxe over his shoulder.

"Hello Gary," Ash said, nodding to his rival.

Gary nodded back, "Are you here for the Fossil Rush too?" he asked.

Ash shrugged, "It sounded interesting, Brock wanted to check it out so we stopped by."

"Heh, well good luck finding anything," Gary said, "I've been digging for hours and the only thing I've found was…um, well it doesn't matter. I doubt there's anything here to find."

"I'm sure there are more interesting things in the ground than your rock of manure," Ash said chuckling. He'd seen Gary boasting about his find from the ridge, right up until the archaeologist told him what it was.

Gary blushed, "Well I'd like to see you try," he said before walking away.

Ash just sighed, Gary was getting better at least. Glancing around, he decided that this was a good spot to search. Crouching down, he and Riolu placed their palms against the ground and spread their aura.

Instantly, a glowing blue vision of the surrounding landscape and everything below filled their mind's eye. Ash studied the ground for a few minutes before abruptly standing up. He tracked down Brock and Misty and found them talking to a tall, stern looking man.

"Hey Ash," Misty called when she say him, "This is Brandon, he's in charge of the dig site here. Brandon, this is Ash Ketchum."

"Pleased to meet you young man," Brandon said, holding his hand out to shake.

"And you sir," Ash said, shaking his hand.

"These two were telling me you might be able to solve our little problem," he said.

"I can certainly try," Ash said, "What's wrong?"

"We've been at this sight for nearly a month but haven't found a single fossil," he explained, "And yet there are documented reports of there being multitudes of fossils located in this canyon."

"That's very strange," Ash said, "I can tell you that there are no fossils anywhere in the first ten or so feet of ground. But below that is a massive cavern, too large for me to completely see, but it might be where your fossils are hiding."

"Hmm, how were you able to discover this cavern when none of us know it even exists," Brandon asked suspiciously, "Do you have any proof it's actually there?"

"The proof is twelve feet beneath your shoes," Ash said, "As for how I found it, well I'm training to be an aura guardian. My aura sight revealed the presence of the cavern but it was too large to see completely. I have no idea how big it is or what is inside of it."

"Hmm, I see," was all Brandon said as he brought a hand to his chin in thought. Finally he said, "I could organize some dynamite to blow a hole into this cavern."

"Why not just have a Pokémon dig their way in?" Brock asked as he grabbed Onix's Pokeball.

"Because young man," Brandon replied, "If this cavern is as big as Ash says it is, then any Pokémon digging through the roof could fall to their death once they break through."

"Oh, I see," Brock said, putting his Pokeball away.

"It was a good idea, young man," Brandon said, "But you must consider your Pokémon's safety above all else."

Brock nodded, "I understand."

* * *

An hour later, they were back on the ridge overlooking the canyon. This time however, Brandon stood with them, a detonator in his hand.

"Fire in the hole," he said loudly pressed the detonator. A moment later, the canyon was lit up by an explosion.

A powerful shock wave washed over everyone, knocking several people off their feet. As the dust cleared, they looked out see a large crater in the bottom of the canyon with a two-meter wide hole in the middle.

Already, workers were making their way to the hole to set up rigging equipment so that teams could propel down into the cave.

As they made their way down to the sight, Brandon said to Ash, "We don't know what's down there, so I want your and your friends to go down with me as part of the first team as protection."

"No problem," Ash agreed.

Brandon then turned to an assistant who'd just run up to him, "I want Jones and Martinez along with three more strong trainers to join us, go get them," he ordered.

"Yes sir," the assistant said as he ran off.

Half an hour later, nine people stood around the hole in the ground. Each one of them was wearing a harness hooked up to a propelling line.

Ash had foregone his overcoat and his muscular form was easily seen through his black t-shirt. He always worked his own body just as hard as he worked his Pokémon; as a result he was quite tall and muscular for his age.

Standing next to him was Misty, doing her best not to stare at his developing six-pack. Beside her was Brock, who kept shooting jealous glances at Ash. He decided then and there to work just as hard as Ash so chicks would notice him more.

On Ash's other side stood Brandon and the two archeologists he'd asked for. They were quietly discussing the equipment they were going to bring with them.

Across from Ash stood Gary. He along with two sisters, Alice and Jane, had been chosen to join the first team. All three were staring unabashedly at Ash, one in jealousy, two with dreamy expressions on their faces.

Ash, while not oblivious to the stares, was choosing to ignore them as he checked the straps on his harness. He knew that he was going to be stared at enough in the future when he created a name for himself and so was doing his best to get used to it. It wasn't easy.

"Alright," Brandon started, "Is everyone ready to go down?"

All but Gary nodded; he needed to make a scene.

"Of course I am," he said arrogantly, "Make away for the great Gary Oak, the strongest trainer in the world." He swaggered towards the hole and got ready to jump in.

"NOOOOO!" Brandon bellowed, causing everybody to jump. Gary yelped and fell on his ass, "This is not a game young man, there is nothing you have done to warrant that kind of attitude, I don't care who your grandfather is or isn't, you are not him. I will not tolerate any arrogance on this team, you will follow my orders or leave, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," a cowed Gary said.

"Very well," Brandon said, "we will go down in two's. Ash, you are with me. Followed by the gym leaders. Alice and Jane will each accompany my assistants here. Gary you will bring up the rear. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," everyone replied.

"Good," Brandon stepped up to the hole, followed closely by Ash. Together they jumped down into the hole, their lines keeping them from going too fast. After a few moments, the floor came into sight and they touched down. Ash unhooked his harness and pulled two Pokéballs from his belt.

"Charmeleon, Jolteon to the battlefront! Light up the cave," Ash threw the balls. Charmeleon appeared and his tail flame flared up, casting light all around. Jolteon appeared right next to him, and his body started glowing with his Flash attack.

A moment later, Brock and Misty landed, quickly releasing a couple of their own Pokémon.

"Staryu Flash!" Misty called, releasing her starfish.

"Zubat, Geodude, go!" Brock called out two of his Pokémon.

Within five minutes, everyone had propelled down to the cave floor. A Butterfree, a Nidoqueen, a Kadabra, a Rapidash, and a Hypno had joined the released Pokémon and had formed a circle around the group. With the Fire Types and the multitude of Pokémon using Flash, the entire cave was lit up.

"Alright everybody, spread out but stay with your teams," Brandon ordered, "Gary you…"

He was interrupted by a loud "Pika!" coming from Pikachu.

"Something's coming," Misty translated. Ash and Riolu closed their eyes and activated their aura sight. Now that there wasn't ten feet of rock in their way, they was able to map out the whole cavern, as well as take note of several passages leading off. When they saw the Pokémon that were filing through the tunnel, he froze in shock.

' _That's not possible,'_ he thought.

Walking out of the gloom was several dozen impossible Pokémon. Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, and Kabutops.

"That's impossible," Gary said incredulously, "Those Pokémon have been extinct for millennia."

"They look pretty real to me Gary," Ash said, "They've probably been in hibernation and the blast woke them up."

"Enough," Brandon snapped, "Real or not, they are a danger to us. Defensive positions."

Each of the trainers stepped up behind their Pokémon, ready to battle.

"Are we aiming to capture them?" Alice asked.

"Or just defend ourselves?" her sister Jane continued.

"It doesn't matter," Brandon quickly said, "just don't try to capture one if it puts you or anyone else at risk."

Just then, one of the Kabutops leapt at Staryu with a Slash attack. "Dodge," Misty snapped, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The Star Shape Pokémon leapt out of Kabutops' way as Pikachu fired a powerful electric attack at the Shellfish Pokémon. It screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through its body.

"Now finish it with a Water Gun," Misty ordered.

The Staryu aimed one of it's arms at Kabutops and fired a powerful water gun at it. The Rock/Water type was blasted into a nearby stalagmite, causing it to fall unconscious.

"Go Pokéball!" Misty threw her Pokéball and it connected with the Kabutops' side, absorbing the Pokéball in a flash of red energy. It rocked once, twice, thrice, it dinged a successful capture.

Everything was silent as all eyes watched the Pokéball bounce back to Misty's hand. Then…all hell broke loose. The entire group of fossil Pokémon attacked, launching various attacks at the group of humans.

As the trainer's had their Pokémon intercept the attacks, Brandon started shepherding his assistants back onto the harness.

"The equipment only has the strength to carry two at a time," Brandon shouted over the various attacks, "When Jones and Martinez make it up, I want Alice and Jane to go next."

Ash barely heard him, much less acknowledge, he was too busy trying to keep Charmeleon from being hit by two many water attacks. Jolteon and Riolu were darting around all of the various rock types, using Thunderbolt and Force Palm repeatedly.

Soon, only Brock, Ash, and Brandon remained, Misty having gone up with Gary.

Charmeleon took a deep breath and was about to unleash a powerful Flamethrower attack when all of the Fossil Pokémon suddenly ran. The cavern was once again quiet as the last Omanyte scuttled down one of the passages.

"Are they gone?" Brock asked, recalling his fallen Zubat.

"For now," Brandon said, he turned to Ash, "Can you sense anything?"

Ash closed as he observed the cave system with his aura sight.

"They're afraid, and running," Ash said, "But not from us, from something else."

"What ever they're running from, I don't want to meet it," Brandon said.

"There's something big coming," Ash suddenly said, "You two go, I'll be fine."

They nodded and hooked themselves up to the propelling line.

Brock and Brandon were nearly to the top when it appeared. A massive shape, flying in the gloom, "Aaaeeerrooo!" it screeched as it passed by the two men.

"Riolu use Reversal on that thing," Ash ordered.

Riolu unleashed a beam of energy at the Aerodactyl and it impacted against it's tough hide with an explosion. "Aaaeeerroo!' he screeched again, though this time it's target was Ash. It soared straight at him with it's claws extended.

Ash knew he'd need a long range attacker so he release Squirtle to help. "Use Water Gun," he ordered.

Squirtle launched a stream of water straight at Aerodactyl and it blasted it back.

"Now use Water Pulse," Ash ordered.

Squirtle lobbed a ball of compressed water at Aerodactyl and it exploded against it's side, soaking the Pokémon. It gave another screech as it collapsed to the cave floor.

"Go Pokéball!" Ash threw his Pokéball and it connected with Aerodactyl's side. It was absorbed in a flash of red light and was an instant capture, due to the damage it received.

Ash blinked as he walked over to collect the Poké ball, "wow, it was weaker than I thought."

"Ri."

"Squirt squirtle."

He scanned the Poké ball with his Pokédex.

 **Aerodactyl, the Fossil Pokémon. An ancient Flying-type, it is equipped with sharp saw-like teeth.**

 _Type: Rock/Flying  
Ability: Rock Head  
Gender: Female  
Moves: Ice Fang, Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, Wing Attack, Bite, Rock Slide_

"I guess it didn't have many opponents during it's days," Ash said, "or maybe it lost a lot of power over the centuries. Anyway, thanks for the help Squirtle, return."

Seeing that Brock and Brandon had made it to the surface, Ash hooked himself up to the final line. He gave it two sharp tugs and was pulled back up to the surface.

* * *

Once Brandon submitted his report to the Pokémon league, they quickly declared the area a Pokémon preserve and hired an Officer Jenny to police it. Brandon had thanked Ash profusely for his help in discovering the extinct Pokémon.

But perhaps the most exciting part of this adventure was that Misty discovered a Pokémon egg while in the cave and had quickly stuffed it into her bag. Once he found out, Ash directed her to Nurse Joy where she checked the egg over and gave Misty an incubator for it.

* * *

"Rhyhorn, use Take Down now!" a Hiker shouted. His grey Rock Type started glowing as it barreled down the field towards an unimpressed Bulbasaur.

"Energy Ball!" Ash countered.

Bulbasaur opened his mouth and a green ball of grass energy formed and quickly fired it at the incoming Spikes Pokémon. The two attacks crashed into each other and stalemated. Suddenly the Energy Ball exploded, sending Rhyhorn flying into a nearby tree.

It quickly got to its feet and charged Bulbasaur again.

"Hah, it'll take more than that to defeat Rhyhorn," the Hiker said smugly.

Ash didn't answer, instead he said, "Bulbasaur use Seed Bomb!"

A glowing seed appeared at the tip of Bulbasaur's bulb. As he was about to fire it, Rhyhorn crashed into him, sending him skidding across the grass. Not to be denied, Bulbasaur angled himself around and fired the Seed Bomb at Rhyhorn.

It exploded against Rhyhorn's side, sending the Rock and Ground Type flying across the clearing.

"Finish it with Magical Leaf!" Ash ordered.

Bulbasaur crouched down and fired a barrage of glowing leaves from the base of his bulb. Impossible to dodge, each of the leaves impacted against the Rock/Ground types side.

Rhyhorn had fainted by the time the last leaf landed.

"That's it!" Brock called, "Ash is the winner."

"Great Job Bulbasaur," Ash congratulated, rubbing his hand along the Seed Pokémon's bud.

"Well you sure but me down to size," the Hiker said after he'd returned his Rhyhorn, "You're Bulbasaur's really well trained."

"Thanks" Ash said, shaking the man's hand. He walked off.

Turning to Bulbasaur Ash said, "You've gotten really strong. I expect you'll probably evolve any day now."

"Bulba?" Bulbasaur suddenly looked wary and unsure.

Ash frowned when he saw this. "What's wrong buddy?" he asked, "Do you not want to evolve?"

"Bulba bulba bulbasaur bulba bul bulba," he said, shaking his head and nodding.

"So you're undecided," Ash surmised. He sighed, "Well it's really up to you buddy. I won't force you to evolve if you don't want to, and I promise that if you do evolve I won't love you any less."

"Bulba," Bulbasaur smiled happily at him.

Ash smiled back, "It all depends on what you want Bulbasaur. Do you want to become bigger and more powerful? Or do you want to stay small and relatively speedy. You can grow stronger in any form, but as a Bulbasaur you will eventually reach your limit. It's a big decision, and not something that you can rush."

"Bulbasaur," the Pokémon said gratefully.

Ash decided to leave Bulbasaur out as they made their way to a nearby Pokémon Center. As they arrived, a beeping in Misty's bag suddenly drew their attention.

"Is that…" she trailed off.

Ash nodded, "Your egg's hatching."

She pulled the incubator out of her backpack to see a flashing egg sitting underneath the glass.

"Take it to Nurse Joy," Brock said.

They rushed it into the Pokémon Center where Nurse Joy immediately took it and brought them to a clinic room.

The glow was quickly increasing and the egg began to change shape. The top of its head grew several small spikes and two stubby arms and two little feet sprouted from its body.

As the glow faded, it was revealed that a large portion of the egg remained around the Pokémon's body.

It blinked its eyes as it looked up at Misty.

"Oh my gosh, you are simply adorable!" she gushed, picking up the newborn Pokémon. It squealed joyfully and started trilling its name repeatedly.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon in Misty's arms.

 **Togepi, the Spike Ball Pokémon. Happiness is stored in Togepi's shell and it shares it's happiness with kind-hearted people.**

 _Type: Fairy  
Ability: Super Luck  
Gender: Female_

"Wow, Togepi are really rare Pokémon," Ash said, "Originally discovered in the Johto Region, and recently in a kingdom in Hoenn. I'm pretty sure this is the first one discovered in Kanto."

"Really?" Brock asked, curious.

"Yeah," Ash said, "Professor Oak's going to want to look at Togepi when we reach Pallet Town. Do you mind if I send him a report about her?"

Misty frowned, "Well as long as he doesn't do any experiments on my precious little Togepi."

"You won't have to worry Misty," Nurse Joy reassured, "Professor Oak would never do anything like that without both the trainer's and Pokémon's permission. Now, if I could see Togepi for a moment, I can make sure he's healthy."

"Oh sure," Misty said, placing Togepi down on the Hospital bed.

As Nurse Joy checked over Togepi Misty's head suddenly shot up, "oh no, I have seven Pokémon now, that's over my limit and I don't want to send any to the Cerulean Gym."

Ash looked up at her. "Why don't you call Professor Oak and request a Gym Leader Pokédex linked to his lab?" he suggested.

Misty beamed at him, before hurrying over to the videophone. Ash watched Nurse Joy for a bit longer before meandering over.

"I'd be happy to," Oak was saying over the phone. "If you'll just send me one Pokémon along with a copy of your trainer ID, I can have a brand new Pokédex linked to you and sent within a week."

"Thank you so much Professor Oak," Misty said. She hurried to do as he asked, sending her Goldeen.

Ash stepped up, "So where can we expect to receive it Professor?" he asked.

"Ah hello Ash, well I'll send it to the Pokémon Center Copper Town, so make sure you stop there on your travels," Oak said, "Until then, any Pokémon you capture Misty will remained locked until you can get to a Phone to send to me."

"I understand Professor, and thank you," Misty replied.

"You're very welcome," Oak said, "If that's all, then goodbye for now." He hung up.

* * *

That night the gang slept comfortably in their bunks in the room Nurse Joy had given them. As midnight approached a ball on Ash's belt started wriggling before it burst open and released Bulbasaur. He stealthily left the room and made his way out of the Pokémon center. However he was not stealthy enough, because his passage was noticed by a certain fighting type.

"Ri, riolu," Riolu said, nudging Ash awake.

"Huh, what is it Riolu?" Ash said groggily.

"Ri riolu ri ri," he said, pointing towards Bulbasaur's empty Poké ball.

Ash frowned as he checked the Poké ball and found it empty. "Where did Bulbasaur go?"

"Riolu," he pointed out the entrance.

"Hey guys," Ash said, "Brock, Misty, Bulbasaur's missing."

They awoke and sleepily followed Ash out of the room and out of the Pokémon Center. They stealthily followed Bulbasaur as he trekked out into the forest that surrounded the Pokémon Center. It was very odd as they looked around, the full moon shone bright in the sky and sparkling pollen was filling the air. Flowers were bursting into bloom everywhere they looked.

"Where's Bulbasaur going?" Misty asked, "and what's with this night? It's weird."

"I don't know," Ash whispered, "but I have a theory."

"What's your theory?" Brock asked.

"Well, there is a story that I learned from Professor Oak," Ash said, "He told me that once a year there is a gathering of Bulbasaur in a secret location. The location changes every year, and no one knows where it will be next. Some people think it has something to do with the phases of the moon and the alignment of the planets."

As Ash spoke, more Bulbasaur began to move out of the trees, joining Ash's Bulbasaur in their march.

"Ri riolu," Riolu said in an undertone.

"Pika chu," Pikachu added.

"Prii," Togepi trilled.

"Why do they gather?" Misty asked.

"To evolve," Ash replied shortly.

The Bulbasaur suddenly broke into a trot, chanting their names in time with their feet, and they were quickly out of sight.

"Come on, we don't want to lose them," Ash said.

They ran after the Bulbasaur. Suddenly large vines started bursting from the ground and weaving into an enormous impenetrable wall.

"What's that?" Misty shrieked.

"This whole forest is going crazy!" Brock exclaimed.

"Come on," Ash said, pouring on speed.

They dove through the vines just as they sealed the hole, completely blocking their escape. Getting to his feet Ash glanced back at the wall, "I guess that's why no one has ever seen it before."

"Seen what?" Misty asked.

Ash didn't respond, instead turned and ran deeper into the forest. He suddenly came to a sliding halt at the edge of a large ledge. Down below them was a large clearing in the forest filled with dozens of Bulbasaur.

"I don't believe it," Ash breathed in awe as Brock and Misty caught up with them, "it's the Mysterious Garden."

"The what?" Misty asked.

"Mysterious Garden? What's that?" Brock asked.

"It's the place that the Bulbasaur hold their evolution festival," Ash said quietly, reaching into his backpack. He pulled out his Pokénav and activated its recorder function to video the scene before them. "No human being has ever seen it before, most believe it's just an illusion."

"It's a pretty name," Misty commented.

Sparkling pollen was flowing into the garden from all directions, converging in the middle and flowing into the ground. At the point that the pollen touched the ground, a large tree was growing right before their eyes. Flowers were blooming all across the clearing, and the Bulbasaur were all chanting in perfect sync.

"It's beautiful," Misty breathed.

From an opening in the base of the newly grown tree a massive Venusaur slowly made his way into the clearing. Every step it took shook the ground, it was so heavy.

"Where did that come from?" Ash mumbled, "Venusaur can't learn Teleport."

The Venusaur stepped up to a large flat tree trunk and called out. "SAUR!"

All of the Bulbasaur responded in kind, "Saur!"

Again the Venusaur called out, "SAUR!"

"Saur!"

This continued for several minutes, the Venusaur calling out and the Bulbasaur responding.

Off to the side, Ash finally spotted his own Bulbasaur. He was looking around nervously, seemingly unsure of himself. Ash frowned, it looked like Bulbasaur had decided that he wanted to evolve, but was starting to second guess himself. He glanced at Riolu, and the Pokémon nodded to him, already knowing what he wanted.

Together they placed their hands on the ground and stretched out their aura. Instead of sending it out in waves in all directions, they directed their aura in a tight stream across the ground and straight to Bulbasaur.

When Bulbasaur felt Ash's aura, he looked up and around in surprise before spotting Ash crouched high above him. Ash gave him a reassuring smile, accompanied by feelings of love and acceptance radiating from his aura.

Bulbasaur smiled at him and relaxed. He started joining in the chanting, calling out "Saur!" in response to the Venusaur.

Slowly, one by one all of the Bulbasaur began to glow, with Ash's Bulbasaur being the last to do so. Pollen started being absorbed into their bulbs, and the glow grew brighter. Then, they began to change. Their bodies grew larger, the green leaves on their bulbs unfurled revealing the flower bud beneath. One by one the glow faded revealing a newly evolved Ivysaur in it's wake.

Ash smiled proudly at his Pokémon as his evolution was finished. Ivysaur opened his eyes and turned to look at his new body. "Saur, Ivysaur," he said in approval, his voice now deeper.

"SAUR!"

"Saur!"

"SAUR!"

"Saur!"

This continued for nearly an hour before the ceremony began to wind down. Most of the new Ivysaur congregated around the Venusaur as it turned and began making it's way deeper into the woods. However some, Ash's included, turned and started walking back from whence they came.

Ash cut his recording, already thinking of the look on Sam's face when he watchs this video. He crouched down as Ivysaur reached them. "You look very handsome Ivysaur," Ash said happily, "and I can tell you're already more powerful. Are you glad you made this decision?"

"Saur, Ivysaur," he replied with a nod.

"Good," Ash said with a smile, "let's get going, we have a lot of work to do."

* * *

 **And thus is Chapter 8...**

 **Don't forget to read and review. Flames will be fed to Charmeleon.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Ash was the first to wake up. As he sat up, he glanced at Misty's sleeping form in the next bunk over with a smile. She had refused to let the baby Pokémon out of her sight for even a moment. Ash was pretty sure she would be carrying it around in her arms for the rest of the journey.

Pulling his coat on over his clothes and donning his cap, Ash headed out the door with Riolu at his side. The center was just opening for the day as Ash entered the Lobby.

"Good morning Nurse Joy," Ash greeted, stepping up to the counter.

"Good morning Ash," she returned. "Have you seen that poster over there?" she asked, pointing towards the Bulletin Board.

"No, what is it?" Ash asked.

"There's going to be a Pokémon Battle Tournament in the next town over three days from now," she explained.

"Really?" Ash was excited. He walked over to the bulletin board to read the poster.

"Cool, I'm going to enter," Ash said excitedly.

"You'll need to leave this morning if you're going to make it to Copper City in time for registration," the Pokémon Nurse said.

"No problem," Ash said.

He rushed back to their room. "Wake up guys," he said as he entered, "Come on get up, we need to go now!"

"Ugh, Ash we barely got any sleep last night, what's the rush?" Misty complained.

"There's going to be a Pokémon Tournament in Copper Town in three days and I want to enter," Ash said, "And we need to leave soon if we're going to make it."

Brock, used to being woken up early by his siblings merely shrugged and went to get ready for the day.

An hour later, they left the Pokémon Center and continued down the road.

* * *

"Here we are, Copper City," said Brock.

"So where do we sign up for the Tournament?" Misty asked.

"I'm not sure," said Ash, "But I'm sure we can find out at the Pokémon Center."

"Sounds good," Brock said. They walked through town for fifteen minutes before entering the massive building with a 'P' on it.

"This center is as big as the one in Viridian City," Misty said, looking around in awe.

"Hello Nurse Joy," Ash greeted, "Is this where we sign up for the Pokémon Tournament?"

"No, not here," she replied, "You need to go down to the Copper Stadium in the center of town."

"Oh, alright thanks, can you take care of our Pokémon while we register?"

"Of course, that's my job," she said with a smile.

Misty asked, "Nurse Joy, is there a package here from Professor Oak? My name is Misty Waterflower."

"Yes, there is," Joy responded, grabbing a box from underneath the counter. "Can I just see your Trainer ID?"

Misty handed her ID over and the Nurse double-checked that the names matched before handing both to Misty. "There you go, you're all set," she said before following the Chansey into the back.

Misty wasted no time in ripping open the box, and pulling out a brand new Pokédex. Already knowing basically how they worked from watching Ash, she put it into a pocket, resolving to read the directions later.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the stadium.

"Wow, there are a lot of trainer's here," Misty commented, looking around.

"Yeah," Ash agreed, looking around, "I think I see the registration tent over there."

They walked over and got in line. When they finally made it to the front, they quickly filled out the forms and handed over their trainer ID's to be registered.

"All right, you're all set," the registration person said, "report to the main field for the opening ceremony tomorrow morning at 9:00 A.M. sharp."

They nodded and made their way back to the Pokémon Center. Once they reserved a room for the next couple of nights, Ash took his Pokémon out into the nearby forest for training.

* * *

Ash awoke early in the morning, took his shower and left to get in some early training. Brock usually started getting up himself as Ash was taking his shower, an unbroken habit from taking care of his many siblings. Ash gave him a playful salute before walking out the door.

On the training field behind the Pokémon Center, Ash released all of his Pokémon.

"Alright guys, we've got a tournament to win today," Ash said, "Do basic warm ups for now, I don't want anyone injured before battle today."

As the Pokémon got to work, Ash started his own workout until a voice interrupted him.

"Ash, is that you?"

Ash looked up from his pushups to see Steven standing a couple of feet from him.

"Hey Steven," Ash greeted, standing up, "Are you entering the Copper Tournament too?"

"Yeah," said Steven, "Maybe we'll get to battle each other again."

"That'd be cool," Ash agreed, "Well, I need to get back to training, see you on the battlefield?"

"Absolutely," he replied, grinning.

* * *

"Welcome one and all to the very first, Copper Town Pokémon battle tournament! My name is Jonny, and I'll be your MC for the day."

Ash stood next to Brock and Misty in the sea of trainer's that were competing in the tournament. Only half listening to the announcer, Ash observed his opponents.

Most he didn't recognize, but some looked slightly familiar. Probably trainer's he'd battled on the road. Steven was on the other side of the field.

"On the big screen, we have the order in which the trainers will battle," said the announcer. Ash looked up to search for himself. He would be battling first against a woman named Jessica.

"This tournament will consist of five battle rounds. The first three rounds will consist of one-on-one battles. For the semi-finals match, each trainer will use two Pokémon. And for the finals, it will be a three-on-three battle.

"The winner of this tournament will earn the honor of being the first challenger for the newly christened Copper Town Pokémon Gym and the chance to earn the first Zen Badge."

Ash perked up at this. He hadn't heard about any new gym.

"In addition," Jonny continued, "As this is the very first battle competition here in Copper Town, we are offering a very special secondary prize to the first place winner. However, if you want to find out what it is, you'll have to win in order to open the special Mystery Box."

"I bet it's a Pokémon egg," Brock said immediately.

"That wouldn't be too surprising," Ash said thoughtfully.

"Now, let this tournament begin!" Jonny shouted, eliciting a cheer from all of the trainers competing.

The other trainer's trailed back into the locker rooms. Ash and Jessica moved to stand in the trainer's boxes.

"Good luck Ash," Misty said as she passed by him.

"Thanks Misty," Ash said with a smile.

"Trainers, release your Pokémon!" The judge ordered.

"Go Manectric!" Jessica shouted.

"Charmeleon, to the battlefront!" Ash ordered

"On the green side, we have Jessica, the electric star from Mauville City in the Hoenn Region. For this battle, she has elected to use her Manectric. And on the green side, we have Kanto's very own Ash of Pallet Town. Ash had decided to use his Charmeleon!"

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

"Charmeleon use Flamethrower," Ash ordered at once.

"Manectric, Thunderbolt!" Jessica commanded.

Charmeleon roared and unleashed a powerful blast of flames at Manectric. At the same time, Manectric fired a massive bolt of electricity at Charmeleon. The two attacks met in the middle of the field and detonated, enveloping the field in a cloud of smoke.

"Quick use Fire Fang," Ash said.

As a Fire Type, Charmeleon had an advantage moving through smoke. He quickly darted across the field and stopped right next to Manectric.

"Meleon!" he roared, opening his maw wide as his fangs erupted into flames, and bit down hard on Manectric's shoulder.

"Nectric!" the electric type shouted in pain.

"Don't take that Manectric, use Thunder Fang!" Jessica ordered.

"Manec." As Charmeleon released it, Manectric whirled around and bit Charmeleon in the arm with electricity infused fangs, sending waves of electricity through Charmeleon.

"Charmeleon!" he shouted in pain.

"Metal Claw!" Ash shouted.

Rearing back with his other paw, Charmeleon's claws took on a metallic sheen as he slashed at Manectric. The attack connected and sent Manectric flying clear across the field.

"Use Thunderbolt, lets go," Jessica ordered.

"Mane manec," it responded and launched another Thunderbolt across the field.

"Dodge and use Dragon Breath," Ash ordered.

Charmeleon leapt to the side and the Thunderbolt flew past him. He then roared and unleashed a blast of green flames across the field that slammed into Manectric. It cried out in pain from the attack, but was still standing as the Dragon Breath ended.

"Wild Charge," Jessica ordered.

"Inferno," Ash said.

With a cloak of electricity, Manectric charged down the field at Charmeleon. At the same time, Charmeleon unleashed an explosion of flames that surged across the field. It crashed into the incoming Manectric with an explosion. When the flames cleared, Manectric was revealed to be unconscious on the field before them.

"Oh no, Manectric," Jessica said sadly.

"Manectric is unable to battle, Charmeleon wins; Ash is the victor," the judge announced.

"And there you have it," the MC's voice finally broke through Ash's battle mindset. He looked around realizing how the crowd was cheering for him.

He smiled and gave a wave, causing the cheers to triple in volume. Ash barely managed to hold a wince at the sound.

As the announcer continued to prattle on, Ash walked out to the field and met Jessica in the middle. "Good battle," Ash said, shaking her hand.

"Thanks, good luck with the tournament," she said, her face suddenly grew quite stern, "Don't you dare lose too soon, that would make my loss even worse."

Ash laughed, "You can count on it," he said. Together they turned and headed back towards the locker rooms. The crowd roared.

As Ash entered the Locker room, he beelined directly to Brock and Misty.

"Hey guys, how'd I do?" Ash greeted.

"That was a great battle," Misty said.

"Yeah I'm glad you finally got Charmeleon to start listening to you again," Brock said.

"Yeah me too," Ash said with a laugh, "speaking of Charmeleon, I should get him down to Nurse Joy," said Ash.

"Hurry back," Misty said, "My battle is just after this one."

"I will," Ash hurried out of the locker room towards the temporary Pokémon Center set up a few doors down. Healing Charmeleon took longer than expected however, and by the time Ash got back, Misty was already in her battle.

Her opponent was some guy named Jon from Sento Cherry Town in Johto (AN: Yes, this is the guy who wins the Silver Conference in canon). Ash blinked as he looked at the trainer's information.

"I'm not sure if Sento Cherry Town is more or less strange a name then HopHopHop Town," he commented to Brock.

Brock nodded in agreement, "Regardless he's a good trainer, Misty's been backed into a corner," said the breeder.

And so she was. Her Staryu's gem was beginning to flash and Ash could see its movements were beginning to get sluggish.

"Don't give up Staryu, use Water Gun!" Misty shouted.

"Fire Spin," Jon countered.

Rapidash unleashed a massive spiraling stream of fire. It slammed into the incoming stream of water and exploded in steam that enveloped the field.

Misty grinned, "Staryu, use Recover!"

Protected from Rapidash's sight by the steam, Staryu started glowing with a faint gold aura as it healed itself.

"Use Stomp!" Jon ordered.

As the steam cleared, Rapidash charged down the field and reared up to crash his hoof down on Staryu.

"Rapid Spin!" Misty shouted.

Staryu started spinning at high speed and flew out from underneath Rapidash, barely dodging the attack. It then went flying around the field before slamming hard into Rapidash.

Rapidash neighed out in pain. "Hang tight Rapidash, use Stomp again!" Jon called out.

Rapidash whirled around and crashed it's hoof down on Staryu, sending it painfully to the ground.

"Ah Staryu!" Misty called, "Quick use Water Pulse!"

Staryu quickly formed an orb of compressed water and blasted it at Rapidash. It impacted and exploded, swamping the fire type in water and sending it crashing away from Staryu. As the water washed away Rapidash was revealed unconscious on the ground before them.

"Rapidash is unable to battle, Staryu wins; Misty is the victor," the judge announced.

"That was a great battle Misty," Jon said, walking up to shake Misty's hand. "I had a lot of fun."

"Thank you," Misty replied, "I thought so to."

"Good luck with the rest of the tournament," He said. Jon returned his Rapidash and left the field.

Misty made her way back to the Locker room and met up with Brock and Ash.

"Great job Misty," Ash said, giving her a hug.

"Yeah, that was a great battle," Brock said.

"Thanks, but I doubt I would have won if Staryu hadn't been able to Recover," Misty said.

"Don't sell yourself short," Ash said, "I'm sure you'd have still found a way to win."

"Thanks Ash," Misty said gratefully.

"Hey it's time for my battle," Brock said suddenly.

"Good luck Brock," Misty wished.

"Knock e'm dead man," Ash said, clapping Brock on the back.

"Thanks guys, I will," he made his way out onto the field.

"For our next battle, we have on the red side, Joshua all the way from Snowpoint city in the Sinnoh Region. And on the green side, we have Brock, the Rock-type specialist from Pewter City."

"Trainers, release your Pokémon," the judge ordered.

"Alright Steelix, let's go!" Brock ordered.

"Drapion, I choose you!" Joshua said at the same time.

They both threw their Pokéballs and released the Iron Snake Pokémon and the Ogre Scorp Pokémon. Both large Pokémon roared at each other in challenge.

* * *

"When did Brock evolve his Onix?" Ash asked.

"I don't know," replied Misty, "I didn't know he even had a Metal Coat to use. Did you?"

"No," Ash replied.

"Well, I guess we'll find out after this match," Misty said.

-break-

Brock eyed his opponent carefully. He wore a confident grin; not overly confident but sure of his abilities. He was sort of like Ash in that respect. He was a trainer to look out for.

Keeping his expression carefully neutral, just as he did during Gym challenges at the Pewter gym, Brock shifted his squinted gaze to the Drapion. It looked well raised, and seemed to be at a high level. But, Steelix was a Steel Type, and therefore immune to all of the Drapion's Poison attacks.

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

"Steelix let's start off with Iron Tail," Brock shouted, beginning the match.

The last four links of Steelix's tail took on a metallic shine and he slithered towards the Drapion.

"Drapion, counter with Brick Break," Joshua ordered.

Drapion's claw started glowing white and he swung it to meet the incoming Iron Tail. The two attacks met in a clash of sparks, stalemating.

Steelix broke off first, as he swung back to face his opponent.

"Steelix, Dragon Breath," Brock ordered.

Steelix reared back and fired a pale green beam of dragon fire at Drapion. The Ogre Scorp Pokémon screamed in pain as the attack hit him.

"Drapion, use Fire Fang," Joshua said.

Drapion ran forwards at impossible speeds as its mouth became covered in flames and bit down on Steelix. The Steel type roared in pain as the fire type attack hurt it.

"Steelix, use Stone Edge to blast it back," Brock said.

The Iron Snake Pokémon flashed for a moment as several sharp stones formed around it. He roared and fired them all at Drapion. The Ogre Scorp Pokémon released Steelix and stumbled back in pain from the attack.

"Steelix, use Dig," Brock ordered.

Steelix dove underground.

"Careful Drapion," Joshua said, "when Steelix come up, grab it and use Aqua Tail."

The ground cracked under Drapion. It looked down just in time to see Steelix burst out of the ground. With quick reflexes Drapion grabbed Steelix and brought a water covered tail around to bash it.

"Quick Steelix use Gyro Ball!" Brock ordered.

A silver glow enveloped Steelix and he started rotating rapidly in Drapion's grip. It's tail bounced off of Steelix and it released Steelix in shock. Steelix then followed through with his attack and crashed painfully into Drapion.

"Now use Slam," Brock shouted.

Steelix flung himself across the field and crashed into a stunned Drapion. When the dust cleared, Drapion was revealed knocked out.

"Drapion is unable to battle, Steelix wins; Brock is the victor," the judge announced.

"Great! Awesome job Steelix," he said as he returned it. He turned back towards the Locker rooms with a sweat drop.

' _Ash and Misty are totally going to give me the third degree about Steelix,'_ he thought solemnly.

He got back to his friends quickly and greeted them.

"Hey guys," he greeted.

"Great match Brock," Ash said with a smile, "but when did Steelix evolve?"

Brock sighed, "Well, you see…"

-Flashback-

Earlier that morning, Ash had already left to do some training and Misty was taking forever in the shower as usual.

Brock left the center to go for a walk in the morning air. A couple blocks away, he found a vendor that sold different evolution items.

Deciding to check it out, Brock meandered up.

"Ah, how can I help you my friend?" the salesman said in greeting, "Are you perhaps looking to evolve one of your Pokémon?"

"Maybe, I'm considering evolving my Onix but I'm not sure if I have enough to buy a Metal Coat right now," Brock explained.

"Then today is your lucky day my friend," the Salesman said, "Because of the tournament, I'm selling all of my merchandise for ½ off for today only."

"Really," Brock said, looking thoughtful. He considered what he knew about Onix, how he'd been with him since the beginning, all those Gym Battles and these past several months with Ash. Onix was his first and most loved Pokémon.

"I'll take it," Brock said smiling. Once he'd bought the Metal Coat, he went to a nearby park and released his Onix.

"Are you ready Onix?" Brock said, holding up the Metal Coat.

Onix roared out a 'yes.'

Brock placed the Metal Coat on Onix and stood back. Immediately, Onix started glowing. He grew slightly longer, his head became much wider and the fin on top disappeared. Two large spikes grew out of three of the stones that comprised the Pokémon's body. The glow faded to reveal Steelix. He reared up and roared his new name to the heavens.

-End Flashback-

"…and that's what happened," Brock said.

"Cool," Ash said, nodding, "well congrats man."

"Thanks Ash," Brock replied.

"Hey guys," Misty, "The first round is over, they've put up the second round matchup's."

They looked up at the board and each searched for his/her name.

"I'm up first against Even, from Littleroot Town," Misty said, "That's in the Hoenn Region right?"

"Yep, I'm against Sharon, from Lavaridge, another Hoenn Town" Ash said, "Right after your match."

"I've heard of that place," Brock said, "That town produces a lot of Fire Type trainers since it's so close to a Volcano."

"Who's your opponent Brock?" Misty asked.

"Umm…there, her name is Karen, from Violet City," Brock said, "She's beautiful…"

Ash and Misty let out sighs as Brock went into girl world.

"Do you think he realizes that he is pushing girls away with how he acts?" Ash asked.

"I don't think he'll ever realize that," Misty said with a sigh.

* * *

"Will trainer's Misty and Even please report to the battlefield," a voice said over the intercom.

"That's you Mist, good luck," Ash said.

"Thanks Ash," Misty said, and she left to her match.

"For our first match of the second round, we have Misty vs. Even."

"Trainers, release your Pokémon," the judge ordered. Misty took out her Pokéball at the same time as Even. They both threw the Pokéballs into the air shouting,

"Swampert, I choose you!"

"Vaporeon go!"

With a flash of light both water type Pokémon appeared on the field, an aura of sparkles surrounding Vaporeon

"It looks like Misty has graced us with the appearance of a shiny Vaporeon, and what a beautiful sight. It's going to be a battle of Water Types, let's see how these two trainers hold up."

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

"Swampert, use Mud Shot!" Even shouted.

Swampert quickly fired several balls of mud at Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, dodge and use Water Gun!" Misty called.

Vaporeon leapt to the side, dodging the flying mud. She quickly fired a powerful stream of water at her opponent. Swampert was too slow to dodge, but wasn't very affected by the attack.

"Swampert, use your Water Gun," Even ordered. Swampert quickly fired his own Water Gun at Vaporeon, who didn't even bother to dodge. The Bubble Jet Pokémon basked in the water as her Water Absorb turned it to energy.

"Thanks for that," Misty called out to Even.

"Grr, Water Absorb, I forgot about that," Even muttered to himself, "Swampert, use Focus Blast!"

The Mud Fish Pokémon brought his massive hands together and formed a large glowing orb of light blue energy. He quickly launched it at Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, use Acid Armor," Misty ordered.

The Bubble Jet Pokémon instantly melted into a pool of water and the Focus Blast flew right over.

"Quick Swampert, use Ice Beam!" Even shouted.

"Vaporeon, Dig," Misty said.

Vaporeon reformed and leapt out of the way just before the Ice Beam hit it. She quickly dug her way underground.

"Hah, got you now, Swampert Earthquake!" Even shouted triumphantly.

"Use Acid Armor," Misty shouted desperately, hoping that Vaporeon would hear her.

Swampert slammed its fist into the ground, causing shockwaves to ripple across the field.

"I think that's it ref," Even said, "No Pokémon's survived one of Swampert's earthquakes underground before."

"Don't count out my Vaporeon just yet," Misty said, before the judge could say anything.

The ground suddenly cracked right underneath Swampert, and Vaporeon burst out and slammed into the Mud Fish Pokémon.

"Swampert!" Even shouted in distress.

"Quick Vaporeon, finish this with Iron Tail!" Misty commanded.

Vaporeon's fish like tail took on a metallic glow and she swung it around to hit Swampert.

"Hammer Arm Swampert," Even quickly countered.

Swampert's arm started glowing bright white and he swung it around to counter the Iron Tail. The two attacks clashed with each other and bounced away in a shower of sparks.

"Vaporeon, Shadow Ball!" Misty called.

Vaporeon charged a purple ball of energy and launched it at Swampert.

"Swampert, Mud Bomb!" Even shouted

Swampert opened its mouth and fired a large glob of mud at Vaporeon

The two attacks met in the middle of the field and exploded.

"Aurora Beam," Misty said. Vaporeon fired a multi colored beam of energy at Swampert. It collided against Swampert's side and sent the Mud Fish Pokémon flying.

"Now, finish this with Hydro Pump," Misty ordered.

Vaporeon fired a massive blast of water down at Swampert. It crashed into Swampert and an explosion shook the field. As the smoke cleared, Swampert was revealed unconscious.

"Swampert is unable to battle, Vaporeon wins; Misty is the victor," the judge announced.

"Alright, great job Vaporeon," Misty said with delight. Vaporeon came running up to her and Misty gave her a very well deserved petting.

She walked back to the Locker room and exchanged a high five with Ash on the way.

"Good Luck Ash," she said.

"Thanks Misty, that was a great battle," Ash replied.

Ash made his way out to the field at the same time as his opponent.

"For our next battle of the second round, we have Ash of Pallet Town vs. Sharon of Lavaridge Town," the announcer said.

"Trainers, release your Pokémon," the judge stated.

"Magmortar, let's go!" Sharon shouted.

"Jolteon, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted.

"And here we have a battle between the powerful Magmortar and the speedy Jolteon, who will claim victory?" the announcer shouted.

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

"Jolteon use Thunderbolt," Ash ordered.

"Protect," Sharon quickly responded.

"Jolt!" Jolteon quickly fired a large bolt of electricity at Magmortar, but it bounced off of a green shield that it had erected around itself.

"Alright, try a Swift let's go," Ash ordered.

Jolteon nodded and fired a barrage of golden star shaped energy projectiles. They impacted hard against Magmortar and he grunted in pain.

"Stay strong Magmortar, use Flamethrower," Sharon ordered.

Magmortar aimed both of it's hand cannons at Jolteon and fired a powerful stream of flames straight at him.

"Agility," Ash ordered.

Jolteon vanished in a blur of motion, appearing right behind Magmortar. "Now Pin Missile," Ash ordered.

Jolteon unleashed a wave of sharp pins from his spiky coat, several of which impacted against Magmortar. It staggered back under the onslaught, raising an arm to shield its face.

"Quick, use Inferno!" Sharon ordered.

Magmortar aimed his other cannon and blasted a powerful beam of flames straight at Jolteon. Being too close, Jolteon had not time to dodge and was hit dead on by the attack.

"Joolt!" he cried out in pain as the flames washed over him. The attack soon died away to reveal Jolteon still standing but looking rather singed. A red flame suddenly surged around him, causing him to yelp in pain.

Ash gritted his teeth, Jolteon had been burned.

"Now finish it with Flamethrower!" Sharon ordered.

"Quick Jolteon, use Dig!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon dove into the ground, barely escaping Magmortar's second attack. A moment later he erupted from the earth and slammed into Magmortar, sending him staggering back in pain.

"Quick use Fire Punch!" Sharon called.

Magmortar's fist ignited in flames and he punched Jolteon right in the stomach. He yelped in pain as he was flung clear across the field and landed in a heap.

"Jolteon!" Ash cried out, "Are you alright buddy?"

"Jolt jolt," he struggled to his feet.

"Awesome, now let's finish this with Thunder!"

"Jolteon!" He unleashed a powerful bolt of lighting straight into the sky. Thunder crackled and the bolt came crashing back down on Magmortar.

"Mortar!" it cried out as the electricity surged through it.

The attack ended and Magmortar collapsed in a smoking heap.

"And with that critical hit, Magmortar goes down," Jonny said, "Is this it for Sharon?"

"Magmortar is unable to battle, Jolteon wins; Ash is the Victor!" the judge announced.

The crowd roared, but Ash heard none of this. He rushed out to scoop up Jolteon as he collapsed from exhaustion and pain. "You did awesome buddy, thank you so much," Ash said with a soft smile.

"Jolt jolteon," he replied weakly.

With that, Ash turned and ran out to the Pokémon Center to get Jolteon healed.

* * *

 **Thus ends Chapter 9...**

 **I'm sorry about the delay, yesterday was insane for me.**

 **Anyway, here's the first part of the Copper Tournament. Unlike with the Chosen One's Journey I've broken it up into smaller increments. The battles are mostly the same, just with some different Pokemon.**

 **Read, Review, Flames will be fed to Charmeleon. (Hopefully he won't get indigestion;)**


	10. Chapter 10

The second round battles continued until it was finally Brock's turn again.

Brock stood on the battlefield across from his opponent, Karen. They each had a Pokéball in hand and were ready to fight.

"Trainer's release your Pokémon!" the judge shouted.

"Go Geodude!" Brock shouted, releasing his Rock Pokémon.

"Girafarig, time to shine," Karen yelled.

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

"Girafarig use Psybeam!" Karen was quick to order.

Girafarig quickly launched a beam of multicolored energy at Geodude.

"Dodge with Rollout," Brock countered.

Geodude curled up into a ball and sped away, rolling around the field at high speed before smalling into Girafarig.

"Ah," Karen yelped, "Girafarig use Confusion!"

Girafarig's eyes started glowing blue and a similar glow enveloped Geodude. The Rock type was then lifted into the air and thrown bodily into the stadium wall.

"Dude, geodude," he said dizzily.

"Quick Geodude, use Smack Down," Brock ordered.

Geodude shook his head before scooping up a nearby rock and lobbing it at Girafarig. It impacted against the Giraffe Pokémon's side with a painful thwack!

"Riiig," it cried out.

"Now use Roll Out," Brock ordered.

Again Geodude was spinning across the field straight at Girafarig.

"Girafarig use Double Kick," Karen ordered.

Girafarig quickly turned and kicked back with both of it's rear legs, impacting once, then twice against Geodude.

"Duuude," Geodude shouted painfully as he was flung once again across the field.

"Now finish it with Energy Ball," Karen ordered.

A green ball of grass energy formed in front of Girafarig's horns and it launched the attack. The Energy Ball sped across the field and impacted against Geodude with an explosion. As the smoke blew away, Geodude was revealed to have been knocked out.

"Geodude is unable to battle, Girafarig wins; Karen is the victor!" the Judge announced.

Brock sighed and returned Geodude to his Pokéball.

He walked out across the field and shook Karen's hand, "that was a great battle, good luck with the rest of the Tournament."

"Why thank you," she said, "I hope we have the chance to battle again someday."

"Count on it," Brock said, his smile returning.

Now that he'd been eliminated, he wasn't allowed in the locker room so he made his way up to the stands to watch the rest of the battles.

* * *

Ash winced, "Poor Brock," he muttered.

"I hope he will be ok," Misty said.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Ash said, "He's a Gym Leader remember? They have to be able to take loss well."

Misty nodded in agreement, "Yeah…whoa how did Brock get through shaking her hand without collapsing?"

Ash looked up at the screen and his jaw dropped to see Brock actually having a normal conversation with a beautiful woman. Finally, "I guess small miracles happen occasionally. Oh look, the third round matchups are up."

"Oh hey, I'm battling Steven!" Misty said.

"And I've got Karen, time to avenge Brock," Ash said with a grin.

As the rest of the Round 2 battles finished, Ash and Misty chatted quietly. Finally, Ash's name was called to go out to the battlefield.

He stepped out into the midday sun, a Pokéball already in hand and ready to battle.

"For the second battle in the third round, we have Ash vs. Karen. Both of these trainers have proven both strong and resourceful, who will come out on top?"

"Trainer's, release your Pokémon!" the judge ordered.

Ash launched his Pokéball into the air shouting, "Haunter, to the battlefront!"

At the same time, Karen threw her own Pokéball, "Stantler, time to shine!"

Haunter started cackling madly as stared down Stantler.

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

Ash started off by shouting, "Haunter, Dark Pulse!"

Haunter, still cackling, brought his hands together and form a ball of black and purple rings. He quickly fired a beam of purple rings at Stantler. Stantler tried to leap out of the way, but was to slow and was struck by the Dark Pulse.

"Stantler!" Karen shouted in worry, "quick, counter with Zen Headbutt!"

Stantler lowered its head and an orb of light blue energy formed between its horns. It charged down Haunter and slammed into him with the Zen Headbutt. Haunter was blasted back and slammed into the stadium wall.

"Haunter!" Ash shouted. Haunter's eyes snapped open and he leapt out of the hole he made and started flying around the stadium, cackling madly. Ash shook his head at the Ghost Type's antics, "Haunter, Hypnosis!" he ordered.

Haunter turned invisible with another cackle. He reappeared right in front of Stantler and his eyes started glowing bright red causing Stantler to fall asleep.

"Now, finish this with Dream Eater!" Ash ordered.

Haunter cast a shadow like version of itself at Stantler. It went straight through the Big Horn Pokémon's body, draining its energy.

Stantler's eyes snapped open and it struggled to its feet.

"All right, good job Stantler!" Karen said happily, "Now use Astonish."

A dark shadow fell across Stantler's face and it charged down the field and slammed into Haunter. The Gas Pokémon spun head over heels in the air as he was blasted back by the attack.

"Use Sludge Bomb" Ash ordered.

Haunter righted himself and spat several balls of mud at Stantler. They crashed all around the Big Horn Pokémon's side, causing an explosion.

"No, Stantler!" Karen shouted.

"Stantler is unable to battle, Haunter wins; Ash is the victor," the judge announced.

"And an amazing victory by Ash!" the announcer shouted, "I think that Ash is quickly becoming the fan favorite, what will he come up with next?"

Ash returned Haunter with a silent thanks and made his way back to the locker room.

* * *

"Will Misty of Cerulean City and Steven of Nimbasa City report to the battlefield?" a voice said over the loudspeaker.

"That's me, wish me luck," Misty said.

"Good luck Mist, Steven's no pushover," Ash advised.

Misty made her way out to the field and stood across the field from Steven.

"And for our final battle of the third round, we have Misty vs. Steven."

"Trainers, release your Pokémon," the judge ordered.

Misty threw her Pokéball at the same time as Steven.

"Kabutops, go!" she shouted.

"Eelektross, I choose you!" Steven called.

With dual cries of their names, both Pokémon appeared on the field, ready to battle.

Misty eyed the Eelektross worriedly; she'd never seen a Pokémon like it before. She pulled out her brand new Pokédex to scan it.

" **Eelektross, the EleFish Pokémon and the evolved form of Eelektrik. Eelektross' mouth locks onto its opponents, where upon it delivers an electric shock. Eelektross is an Electric type Pokémon with the ability Levitate."**

Misty gulped slightly when it said electric type, but she quickly shook her head and got ready to battle.

The judge raised two flags into the air, "This will be a one-on-one battle. The victor will be declared when either of the trainer's Pokémon are announced unable to battle. Ready, begin!"

Deciding to go in the offensive, Misty said, "Kabutops, use Slash attack!"

Kabutops sped forward and brought its scythes slashing down on Eelektross before it could react. It grunted in pain as the attack hit, but stared back stubbornly.

"Eelektross use, Thunderbolt!" Steven shouted.

Eelektross shouted its name as it fired a point blank Thunderbolt at Kabutops. The Shellfish Pokémon screamed as the super effective attack coursed through its body. He fell to his knees as the electricity stopped, but didn't faint.

"Great job Kabutops, now use Night Slash!" Misty called.

Kabutops' scythe started glowing with dark purpled energy and he slashed at Eelektross.

"Protect," Steven shouted.

A bright green shield instantly formed around Eelektross and the Night Slash bounced off.

"Oh no, Kabutops get out of there," Misty said in worry.

"Another Thunderbolt!" Steven ordered.

"Use Aqua Jet to dodge," Misty snapped off.

As Eelektross fired another powerful Thunderbolt attack, Kabutops' body became surrounded by water and he rocketed off and around the field. The electricity missed him by feet, and he continued soaring around and slammed into Eelektross' side.

"Night Slash," Misty shouted, while Eelektross was close.

The Shellfish Pokémon's scythe became surrounded by dark, almost black energy and he slashed down on the dazed Eelektross. The EleFish Pokémon went flying across the field and smashed into the wall.

"Now finish it with Ancient Power!" Misty ordered.

Kabutops started glowing white. The energy then traveled down its body and formed into a Silver ball of energy between its scythes and he fired it at Eelektross. The Ancient Power attack slammed into the EleFish Pokémon, causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Eelektross had still standing.

"Now finish this with Wild Charge," a grinning Steven ordered.

Eelektross charged down the field with a bright electric aura around its body and slammed painfully into Kabutops. Kabutops shouted painfully as he was electrified before collapsing in a dead faint.

"Kabutops is unable to battle, Eelektross wins; Steven is the victor," the judge announced.

"And there you have it folks, Misty has finally been defeated by the trainer from Unova. What will we see next?" the announcer said. "Now, during the fourth round, all battles will take place as double battles between the two contestants. We will have the fourth round match ups for you shortly."

"And now, if you'll look up at the screen we have the matchups for the fourth round semi-finals," the announcer said over the loudspeaker.

Ash looked up and grinned. The first match was between two trainers, named Clark and A.J. The second battle however, was between himself and Steven.

The battle was surprisingly short lived as A.J. demolished Clark. His Sandslash was truly a force to be reckoned with.

All too soon, it was Ash's turn. "Will Ash and Steven report to the battlefield," a voice said over the loudspeaker.

Ash and Steven walked out to the battlefield together and shook hands in the middle.

"Good luck," Ash said with a grin.

"And good luck to you," Steven said, grinning himself.

They turned and made their way to the battle boxes.

"What a show of sportsmanship," the announcer shouted, "As before, this battle with be a this will be a two on two match, meaning that both trainers will have two Pokémon to battle with before the victor is announced.

"Trainer's, release your Pokémon!" the Judge ordered.

"Scyther, to the Battlefront."

"Watchog, I choose you!"

With two identical flashes of light, both Pokémon appeared on the field. All were ready to do battle.

"Let the battle begin!" the judge shouted.

Ash gestured for Steven to make the first move.

"Watchog, use Hyper Fang," Steven called.

Watchog leapt at Scyther, its fangs starting to glow brightly.

"Dodge and use Slash," Ash ordered.

Scyther flapped his wings and leapt to the side, slashing at Watchog as it passed where he once stood.

"Choog!" it cried out.

"Quick use Flash," Steven ordered.

"Watch!" Watchog's body suddenly erupted in bright light.

"Scyther scy!" Scyther cried out, squeezing it's eyes shut against the glare.

"Now quick use Iron Tail," Steven ordered.

Watchog's tail took on a metallic sheen and it whirled around to slam it against Scyther's thorax.

"Scy!" Scyther cried out, still fumbling and rubbing at it's eyes.

"Come on Scyther, try and use Slash," Ash encouraged.

Scyther slashed blindly, but Watchog easily evaded.

"Keep going Watchog, use Hyper Fang," Steven ordered.

Watchog wove around Scyther's wild slashes and bit him painfully in the arm.

"Scytheeer!" Scyther cried out.

His suddenly eyes shot open and he glared at Watchog.

"Vacuum Wave," Ash ordered.

Scyther slashed at Watchog, releasing a glowing blue blade of fighting energy that impacted painfully against Watchog.

"Now use X-Scissor," Ash ordered.

Scyther slashed with both arms, launching streak of x-shaped energy at Watchog.

"Dodge," Steven cried out.

Watchog however was too slow and took the attack head on. It cried out in pain before collapsing in a faint.

"Watchog is unable to battle, Scyther wins," the referee announced.

"Return Watchog," Steven said, "Darmanitan, I choose you!"

The Poké ball burst open releasing a large Fire type. "Darmanitan!" it shouted, waving it's arms and stomping its feet.

Ash's eyes widened at the sight. "Wow." he said.

Steven grinned, "Alright Darmanitan, use Fire Punch!"

"Darmanitan!" The Pokémon charged down the field faster than Ash had expected and slammed a fiery fist into Scyther's thorax.

"Scyyy!" he cried out from the super-effective attack.

"Quick use Air Slash," Ash called.

Scyther backed up and slashed at Darmanitan, releasing a blade of flying type energy. It impacted against Darmanitan, but he didn't seem to feel it, merely shrugging off the blow.

"Now use Flare Blitz!" Steven ordered.

A red aura of fire energy enveloped Darmanitan and it literally flew down the field and slammed into Scyther with a fiery explosion. Scyther didn't even scream before fainting from the attack.

"Scyther is unable to battle, Darmanitan wins," the judge announced.

Ash sighed as he returned Scyther. "Thanks buddy, don't worry we can still win this." Ash looked down at Riolu, "Let's go buddy."

"Ri," Riolu leapt out to the battlefield and squared himself up for the coming fight.

"Use Force Palm," Ash ordered.

Riolu sped down at Darmanitan and ignited a Force Palm attack against its chest before it could react. The blast blew Darmanitan back several feet where it landed with a large crash.

"Quick Darmanitan use Flamethrower," Steven ordered.

Darmanitan leapt back to his feet and breathed out a massive blast of flames that washed over Riolu. He cried out in pain from the attack but stayed standing as the flames diminished.

"Now use Fire Punch," Steven ordered.

Darmanitan charged at Riolu, it's fist igniting with flames.

"Circle Throw," Ash ordered.

Riolu fell back as Darmanitan swung the punch. Darmanitan stumbled forward, off balance, and Riolu took advantage. Grabbing Darmanitan's fist and planting his feet firmly against its gut, he flung the Blazing Pokémon overhead where it crashed painfully into the field.

"Now use Rollout," Steven ordered.

Darmanitan curled up into a ball and rolled down the field, slamming straight into Riolu, sending him flying back.

"Shadow Claw," Ash called.

Riolu leapt back to his feet and charged at Darmanitan, slashing repeatedly with a shadow infused claw.

"Fire Punch," Steven said.

Darmanitan punched Riolu down into the ground with a flame covered fist.

"Ri!" he cried out.

"Force Palm!" Ash called.

From the ground, Riolu's paw shot out and planted firmly against Darmanitan. It looked down at the paw in surprise just as it ignited, blasting Darmanitan clear across the field.

Riolu struggled to his feet, panting heavily from the battle.

"Let's finish this, Reversal," Ash ordered.

Riolu launched a powerful beam of fighting energy at Darmanitan. It impacted against the Pokémon with a powerful explosion that shook the field. However when the smoke cleared, it revealed a much-changed Darmanitan. It was now a charcoal grey color and it's arms and legs were tucked tightly to its body.

Ash blinked at the strange sight and quickly pulled out his Pokédex to scan it.

 **Darmanitan, the Blazing Pokémon, and the evolved form of Darumaka. Darmanitan switches from Standard Mode to Zen Mode when it has little energy left. In Zen Mode it gains the Psychic powers to make up for its lack of movement.**

Ash paled as the implications of that sunk in.

"That's right Ash, this battle is over," Steven shouted, "Darmanitan, use Psychic!"

The Blazing Pokémon's eyes started glowing blue, and a blue aura surrounded Riolu.

"Ri, riolu!" Riolu shouted as he was lifted off the ground, and the Psychic attack started doing damage. Darmanitan slowly levitated the struggling Fighting Type towards itself.

"Now, finish this with Overheat!" Steven ordered.

"No Riolu!" Ash shouted in terror.

A red glow surrounded Darmanitan's body and an orb of fire appeared in front of it's closed mouth. He launched a powerful stream of spiraling white fire that slammed into Riolu's body and sent him flying into the nearby wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"Riolu is unable to battle, Darmanitan wins; The victor is Steven!" the Judge announced.

Ash collapsed to his knees. "We lost," he mumbled.

"And there you have it folks," the MC announced, "Steven from Nimbasa City in the Unova Region has triumphed over Ash and his powerful Riolu."

Ash didn't hear any of this. Instead he got up to run over and cradled Riolu in his arms.

"You did awesome Riolu," he murmured, "We'll get you to the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy will heal you right up."

He looked up to see Steven looking down at him. He firmed his resolve and stood up, offering his hand to Steven. "That was an awesome battle Steven, congratulations."

Steven smiled, "Hey thanks Ash." He shook his hand, "one more win and we'll be even."

Ash forced a grin, "You can try, but I won't let you beat me again."

Steven laughed, "and try I will. Good luck Ash."

"And you." They shook hands again and left the field.

* * *

Ash sat next to Misty and Brock in the stands, watching as Steven battled in the finals against A.J.

A.J. was an incredibly powerful trainer, his Sandslash giving Steven and his Servine unending trouble. Finally however Steven triumphed with a powerful Grass Pledge, sending Sandslash into unconsciousness.

* * *

"And here we are Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the winner of the Copper Town Battle Tournament, Steven!"

Steven stepped up to the podium, smiling and waving to the crowd.

A small portly man walked up to Steven, holding the Mystery Box in his arms. "As the mayor of Copper Town, it gives me great pleasure to present to our winner his prize." He handed the box to Steven. "Go on son, open it up and let's see what it is."

Steven opened the box and pulled out a long black sash.

"That's right folks, a Black Belt," the MC said, "A special item able to increase the power of a Pokémon's Fighting Type move. Which leads me to Steven's other prize."

The mayor led Steven to the other side of the stage where a blond woman wearing a Karate gi was standing, "And now Steven, may I introduce to you to Angelica, the new Copper Town Gym Leader."

"A pleasure to meet you," Angelica said with a bow, "I'm looking forward to our battle."

"As am I," Steven replied, "Is tomorrow morning too soon?"

"That will be perfect," she said, "I shall meet you in the Pokémon Center to lead you to the Gym."

Steven acknowledged her with a nod.

"Let's hear it one more time for Steven!" the MC shouted, eliciting a ground shaking cheer from the audience.

* * *

Ash sat silently in his bed, contemplating his last battle against Steven. Riolu sat in his lap, relaxing against his stomach as Ash massaged the tension from his muscles. His mind kept going over the battle, questions raging across his thoughts.

What had he done wrong? Was he getting too overconfident? Overestimating his and Riolu's abilities? Underestimated Steven? Why...

His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he suddenly felt Riolu's aura surging through his body. Feelings of calm and reassurance filled him and he sighed, his eyes falling closed.

" _Thank you Riolu,"_ he thought, sending the message echoing out from his aura and into Riolu's.

* * *

The next morning at 9 A.M. Ash sat in the bleachers with Brock, Misty, and a hundred other spectators as Steven had his battle against Angelica.

Though Ash had already guessed based on her attire, this battle proved that Angelica specialized in Fighting Type Pokémon. She even had a Sawk, a fighting type from Unova, at her side.

Eventually Steven won his match and Angelica handed out her first Zen badge. Now she had two more challengers before Ash would be able to fight her, but he left the stadium anyway. He'd seen enough to develop a strategy.

* * *

Ash stood in his battle box, surreptitiously observing the gym around him. It looked like a cross between Pokémon battlefield and a karate school. On the other side of the field stood Angelica, her face betrayed no emotions as she coolly observed him. All around the battlefield the bleachers were still full to the brim with eager spectators.

A judge walked up to his own box in the middle of the field. "This will be a four-on-four Pokémon battle between Gym Leader Angelica and Ash of Pallet Town. The winner will be declared when all of one sides Pokémon are unable to battle, furthermore only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions. If the trainers are ready, let the battle begin!"

Angelica was the first to release her Pokémon, "Poliwrath, time to battle!" she tossed out her Pokéball and released a powerful looking Poliwrath.

"Poliwrath!" the Tadpole Pokémon said in challenge.

"In that case, Ivysaur to the battlefront," Ash called, launching his Poké ball and releasing the Seed Pokémon.

"Ivysaur, use Magical Leaf!" Ash ordered.

"Saur!" he responded, launching a wave of glowing multicolored leaves at Poliwrath.

"Protect," Angelica responded.

A green shield formed around Poliwrath and the Magical Leaf merely bounced off.

"Try an Energy Ball," Ash ordered.

Ivysaur quickly fired the attack, this time hitting Poliwrath, even as it charged at Ivysaur.

"Ice Punch," Angelica ordered.

Poliwrath clenched it's fist as it started glowing light blue with freezing energy. With a mighty swing he punched Ivysaur in the side.

"Ivy!" he yelled in pain as he went skidding back several feet.

"Vine Whip," Ash ordered.

"Saur." Ivysaur extended his vines and whipped Poliwrath several times, eliciting cries of pain from it.

"Dynamic Punch," Angelica commanded.

Poliwrath suddenly grabbed Ivysaur's vines and charged at him. His fist was glowing golden red and he delivered a painful blow to Ivysaur's side.

"Saur!' he cried out. Sparks began travelling along his body as the Dynamic Punch paralyzed him.

Ash grit his teeth, "Ivysaur, quick use Grass Knot."

Ivysaur's eyes glowed with green energy and suddenly a small sprig of grass grew around Poliwrath's foot, tying itself together. Poliwrath took a step and tripped, slamming painfully to the ground.

"Wrath," he said in anger.

"Ice Punch," Angelica said.

Poliwrath jumped back to its feet and gave Ivysaur an extra powerful Ice Punch. "Sauur!" he shouted as he was flung across the field and slammed into a wall. He slumped down to the ground, unconscious.

Ash sighed and returned Ivysaur. He really needed to work on Ivysaur's defense to make up for his lack of speed. "You did great, thanks bud," he said before switching Poké balls. "Jolteon to the battlefront!" He launched the Poké ball and released his Lightning Pokémon. "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Jolt jolt," he responded and fired a large bolt of lightning at Poliwrath. It impacted against the Tadpole Pokémon, causing it to scream in pain.

"Use Water Gun," Angelica ordered.

Poliwrath, panting from the electric attack, launched a high powered stream of water straight at Jolteon.

"Agility," Ash ordered.

Jolteon vanished in a blur of speed, reappearing directly to Poliwrath's left. "Now Thunderbolt," Ash said.

Again Jolteon unleashed a bolt of electricity that slammed into Poliwrath.

"Poliiiiii!" it cried out before collapsing in a dead faint.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle, Jolteon wins," the judge said.

"Return Poliwrath," Angelica said. She murmured something to her Poké ball before switching out for another. "Primeape, time to battle!" Out of the Poké ball burst the Pig Monkey Pokémon.

"Priiiimeape," he said, bouncing in place as it waited for Angelica's orders.

"Thrash," Angelica said.

"Priiimeape!" it shouted and charged at Jolteon.

"Whoa," Ash yelped, surprised by it's speed. He was about to yell for Jolteon to dodge when it was on him. Jolteon yelped in pain as Primeape scratched and kicked at him.

"Pin Missile!" Ash shouted.

Jolteon's hair spiked out and erupted with sharp spines in all directions. Primeape yelped in pain as it back away.

"Use Fury Swipes!" Angelica ordered.

Again Primeape charged at Jolteon and slashed wildly at him.

"Quick use Dig," Ash shouted.

Jolteon quickly dug into the dirt to escape from Primeape's wild attack.

Angelica smiled and said, "Earthquake."

Ash's eyes shot wide open, "get out of there Jolteon!"

Primeape slammed its fist onto the earth, generating a shockwave that shook the whole field. Ash himself wavered in place from the attack. When the ground settled Ash shouted for his Pokémon. "Jolteon, Jolteon are you alright?"

Slowly, Jolteon crawled out of the hole he'd made and collapsed on the ground.

"Jolteon is unable to the battle, Primeape wins," the judge announced.

"Return Jolteon," Ash said sadly, recalling his Pokémon to its ball. He then switched out Poké balls and threw it. "Pidgeot, to the battlefront!"

Pidgeot burst free of the Poké ball with a loud, "Pidgeooooo!"

"Quick use Aerial Ace!" Ash called.

"Pidgeot," she responded and flew straight at Primeape with a white aura encircling her and slammed into it.

"Priiiime," it bellowed as it was blasted across the field.

"Quick Primeape, use Thunder Punch," Angelica ordered.

Primeape leapt to its feet and it's fist started crackling with electricity as it charged at Pidgeot.

"Hurricane," Ash commanded.

Pidgeot's wings started glowing blue as she flapped powerfully, sending a hurricane gail at Primeape. The fighting type struggled against the attack, but the wind soon overtook it and sent it flying back with a crash. Primeape did not get back up.

"Primeape is unable to battle, Pidgeot wins," the judge announced.

Angelica sadly returned her Pokémon before switching out Poké balls and releasing her Sawk.

"Sawk, let's begin this battle with something unexpected," Angelica said, "Grass Knot!"

"What?" Ash said in surprise.

Sawk's eyes glowed green and several blades of grass grew around Pidgeot's feet, tripping her up. She let out a squawk as she fell to the ground with a crash.

"Now, quickly use Close Combat!" Angelica said.

"Don't let it hit you, fly up!" Ash ordered.

Sawk dashed forward too fast for Pidgeot to react and started raining kicks and punches down on the surprised Bird Pokémon.

"Wing Attack!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot struggled to concentrate under the barrage of punches. Her wing started glowing and she slammed it into Sawk, skidding him back across the field.

"Now Aerial Ace," Ash ordered.

Pidgeot flew into the air and soared towards Sawk with streaks of white energy surrounding her body. Before anyone could blink, Pidgeot crashed into Sawk, sending him flying across the field.

"Use Focus Blast!" Angelica ordered.

Sawk shakily stood back up and brought his hands together to form large light blue ball of energy. He quickly launched it at Pidgeot.

"Send it back using Steel Wing!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot's wings took on a metallic shine and she batted the incoming Focus blast right back at Sawk.

"Dodge it!" Angelica shouted.

Sawk leapt out of the way just before the attack hit, but was caught in the blast and sent careening into the wall.

"Heat Wave!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot flapped her wings and waves of fiery wind blasted down on Sawk, causing an explosion. As the dust cleared, Sawk was revealed to be knocked out.

"Sawk is unable to battle, Pidgeot is the winner," the judge announced.

As Angelica returned her Pokémon, Ash gave Pidgeot a good look. He could tell that she was getting tired but was still fit for battle.

"Machamp, time to battle," Angelica called, throwing her final Poké ball.

"Take to the air Pidgeot," Ash ordered, alert for another trick like Grass Knot.

"Machamp, use Smack Down," Angelica ordered.

Machamp brought two hands together and formed a rock of energy before launching it at Pidgeot.

"Dodge," Ash cried frantically.

PIdgeot tried to maneuver around the stone, but her size was a disadvantage this time and it hit her. She cried out in pain even as she plummeted back down to earth.

"Now Stone Edge," Angelica continued.

"Machamp!" the Pokémon said. A ring of white energy formed around it before reshaping into an orbiting series of sharp stones. The stones proceeded to launch themselves at Pidgeot at full speed, crashing on and around Pidgeot as she cried out in pain.

"Shield yourself with Steel Wing," Ash tried.

Pidgeot struggled to do so, but was already too weak from her previous two battles.

"Finish this with Dual Chop," Angelica ordered.

Two of Machamp's hands started glowing with teal draconic energy as he charged down on Pidgeot and brought them down on her back, finally knocking her out with a final painful squawk.

Sadly Ash pulled out a Poké ball and returned Pidgeot. "Thank you so much Pidgeot, you were awesome," he said to it before switching. "Since you seem to like dragon moves, lets see how you deal with my dragon. Dratini, to the battlefront!"

The Poké ball popped open as it was thrown and released Dratini to the field. He held his head up high, glaring up at Machamp as it towered over him.

"Interesting," Angelica said.

"Twister," Ash ordered.

Dratini immediately created a powerful cyclone that span straight at Machamp, sweeping it up and sending it tumbling about before leaving it groaning on the field in front of Angelica.

"Quick, use Smack Down," Angelica ordered one again.

Machamp was quickly on its feet and launching another stone at Dratini. The dragon Pokémon was too slow to dodge and he cried out in pain from the attack.

"Dragon Tail," Ash ordered.

Dratini quickly slithered at Machamp as his tail started glowing teal. He twirled around and smacked his tail hard into Machamp's side and sending it skidding back several feet.

"Dual Chop," Angelica ordered.

Machamp charged at Dratini with two of its hands once again glowing with dragon energy.

"Dodge it," Ash called, "Then Flamethrower!"

Dratini nimbly slithered around Machamp's attempts to hit him. He then launched a point black flamethrower straight into Machamps face, blasting it back.

"Dual Chop again," Angelica persisted.

Dratini attempted to dodge, but this time Machamp managed to make a hit, causing Dratini to cry out.

"Dragon Tail!" Ash called.

With it's proximity, it was easy for Dratini to slam his tail into Machamp's chest and send it flying across the field.

"Now finish it with Dragon Rush!" Ash ordered.

"Tiniii!" Dratini yelled as a teal aura enveloped him. The aura reshaped itself into a fanged dragon and he literally flew at Machamp, slamming into it with a massive explosion.

When the smoke finally cleared, Dratini was panting from exertion next to an unconscious Machamp.

The judge examined Machamp before raising his flag, "Machamp is unable to battle, Ash is the victor!"

A massive cheering broke out amongst the spectators. Ash jumped slightly, he'd forgotten he had an audience. He gave the crowd a few waves after returning Dratini before turning back to Angelica.

She'd already returned her Pokémon and walked up to him.

"That was a battle I shall always remember," she said to him, "I thank you for the honor of your challenge. As proof of your victory, I present you with the Zen badge." She held out a small badge shaped like the Yin-Yang Symbol.

Ash took it and placed it in his badge case, "Thank you for battling me, I enjoyed our battle too."

She bowed to him in respect, a gesture which Ash returned before walking out of the Gym.

* * *

 **Thus ends chap 10.**

 **I won't be surprised if many of you hate me for letting Steven win that battle. Unfortunately Steven needed to win at least one battle if he is going to true rival to Ash. Hell even Barry beat Ash once.**

 **I'm sorry I'm so late with this update, I was out of town this past weekend and unable to access the internet to post. I'll do my best to have Chapter 11 up on friday.**

 **Thanks everyone,**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	11. Chapter 11

Ash sat next to Riolu on a large flat rock. They both had their eyes closed and their hands were clasped together as they meditated on their aura. Nearby, Misty sat on a wooden bench, feeding her Togepi while Brock made Rice Balls.

It was a peaceful and tranquil day as the three travelers continued on their journey. With Ash having earned his seventh badge, they changed their destination from Cinnabar Island to Viridian City.

The Viridian City Gym is said to be the strongest Gym across the Kanto region, only accepting challengers with seven badges or more. It was this gym that Ash hoped to earn his eighth and final badge.

"Hey Ash, wake up Lunch is ready," Brock called to his younger friend.

Ash's eyes snapped open, a visible blue glow fading from them.

"Great, I'm starving," he said, standing up. He turned to a nearby patch of grass and shouted, "You need to be careful, that camera lens could easily be mistaken for a scope on a rifle."

Brock and Misty followed Ash's line of sight just in time to see a kid with brown curly hair and a red striped shirt stand up in the grass. He had a large black camera clutched in his hands. "How did you know I was there?" he asked.

"If someone thought you were pointing a rifle at them or their Pokémon it could cause a panic that could get people or Pokémon hurt," Ash continued as if the boy hadn't said anything, "Anyway, do you want to join us for lunch? I'm sure we have plenty." He looked at Brock questioningly.

"Absolutely," Brock said, gesturing to his pile of Rice Balls.

"Really? Gee thanks, I guess I am pretty hungry," he said, "My name is Todd Snap, I'm a Pokémon Photographer."

"I'm Ash, I'm a Pokémon trainer."

"I'm Brock, a Pokémon Breeder."

"And I'm Misty, I'm a Water Pokémon Trainer."

"Nice to meet you," Todd said as he sat down.

"So what were you doing in the grass?" Misty asked as they started eating.

Todd flushed slightly, "I was trying to take a picture of that blue Pokemon," he explained, pointing at Riolu. "I've never seen a Pokémon like that before and I've travelled all over Kanto."

"That would be why," Ash said, "Riolu aren't normally found anywhere in the Kanto Region. You're more likely to find them in Sinnoh, Unova, or Kalos."

"Then where did you get him?" asked Todd.

"He was my starter from Professor Oak," Ash explained, placing a hand on Riolu's head and petting him. Riolu sighed in happiness.

"Really? That's pretty neat," Todd said, "So where are you guys heading?"

"Viridian City," Ash said, "I'm on my way to get my final badge to enter the Indigo League."

"Eighth badge huh? Well good luck," Todd said, "You know, I'm heading in the same direction, would you guys mind if I walk with you for a little while?"

"Sure, the more the merrier," Brock said.

* * *

"Geodude, use Rollout," Brock ordered.

Geodude curled up into a tight ball and rocketed out at Ash's Ivysaur. Ivysaur grunted in pain from the attack but held strong.

"Great job Ivysaur," Ash encouraged, "Keep strong."

"Ivy," Ivysaur responded. He gave another painful grunt when Geodude slammed into him again.

After the third hit Ash then called, "Alright, now use Magical Leaf!"

"Saur," he turned to the incoming Geodude and unleashed a barrage of glowing multicolored leaves at him. The attack detonated around Geodude and sent him blasting back.

"Great Job Ivysaur," Ash said.

"Hey Ash, why are you letting your Ivysaur take so many hits?" Todd asked in confusion.

"To build up his defence," Ash replied.

"But wouldn't it be better to not let him get hit at all?" Todd asked.

"Well yeah, that'd be ideal," Ash said, "But it's often not possible."

"What do you mean?" Todd asked.

"You see," Brock said, stepping into the conversation with Geodude at his side, "many Pokémon have different statistics that a trainer has to understand in order to effectively battle with them.

"Many Pokémon rely on speed and power, such as Geodude here with his Rollout and Riolu. However other Pokémon do not have the speed and evasive capabilities so they have to rely on their defensive capabilities to withstand attacks and return with their own."

"I see," Todd said in interest, "Thanks Brock, that really clears it up."

"You're welcome," Brock said.

Suddenly, Geodude burst into bright light. Everyone gasped.

"He's evolving," Misty said.

Geodude grew larger. His body became easily three times its original size. Short stubby legs grew out from underneath him, his arms grew more bulky and a second pair of arms grew below them and tucked tightly to his chest. The energy then faded to reveal a newly evolved Graveler.

"Awesome," Brock said in delight, "That's so awesome Graveler."

"Graveler," he said in response, smiling up at his trainer.

"Congratulations," Ash said.

* * *

"Here we are, the Viridian City Gym," said Ash. They'd finally reached Viridian City and after a quick checkup at the Pokémon Center, walked straight to the Gym.

As they approached the Roman style building, Ash raised his eyebrows at the armored guards. They both wore bronze Greek style armor, complete with a plumed helmet, and each was carrying a massive spear with an axe head at the tip.

Ash walked up to them and said, "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader to a battle for the Earth Badge!"

Wordlessly, the guards slammed the butts of their spears to the ground, and the heavy gym doors slid open. Ash walked through, followed by his friends. Todd stopped to take a picture of the guards before hurrying in.

Inside was a standard league size dirt battlefield, with white lines marking the boundaries and centerfield. Instead of a ceiling, there was a massive skylight illuminating the field but leaving the corners of the building cast in shadow.

On the other side of the room was a large sealed metal door, and above it a balcony. Sitting in the balcony, shrouded in shadows, was a man petting a Persian. He sat in a large, carved chair as if it were a throne.

"My next challenger I see," he said calmly, his voice somehow carrying across the large room.

"That's right, I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash answered, "I've come to challenge you for the Earth Badge."

"Very well," the Gym Leader replied, "Judge, lets begin the match."

"This will be a three-on-three Pokémon battle between the Viridian City Gym Leader and Ash of Pallet Town. Only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions and the battle will be over when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Begin!"

"I shall begin with Marowak," the leader held up a Pokéball. It popped open and a Marowak was released on the field with a flash of light.

"In that case, Squirtle, to the battlefront!" Ash threw his Pokéball to release the Tiny Turtle Pokémon to the field.

"Squir squirt squirtle squirt," Squirtle taunted, dancing in place.

Marowak growled but didn't move.

"Squirtle, let's start this off with Water Gun!" Ash commanded.

The Water Type responded instantly and fired a stream of water at the Bone Keeper Pokémon.

"Deflect it," the gym leader said.

Marowak held his bone club in front of his body and began spinning it in a circle, much like a baton. The Water Gun impacted against the bone and reflected off, doing no damage.

"Now, use Bonemerang," the leader announced.

Marowak took a single step back and launched its bone at Squirtle. It spun around in the air as it raced down the field towards Squirtle.

"Withdraw!" Ash commanded.

Squirtle instantly retreated into his shell. The Bonemerang attack crashed into the shell and deflected off, doing minimal damage.

"Now use Gyro Ball!" Ash ordered.

Without leaving his shell, Squirtle began spinning rapidly and a light blue glow formed around his rim. He raced down the field and crashed into Marowak hard, sending the Bone Keeper Pokémon flying across the field.

Squirtle stopped spinning and popped out of this shell and smirked happily down at the Ground Type...just as the returning Bonemerang nailed him in the back of his head.

"Squirtle!" Ash shouted.

"Excellent, now use Bone Club," the Gym leader called down.

Marowak leapt to its feet and snatched its bone club out of mid-air. It quickly ran up to the dazed Squirtle and bashed him across the chest with it. The Turtle Pokémon was sent flying across the field and landed in a heap at Ash's feet.

"Are you ok?" Ash asked, looking down at his Water Type.

"Squir squirtle squirt squirtle," he replied, getting back to his feet and shaking his head.

"Stay calm Squirtle," Ash said, "Use Water Pulse!"

Squirtle smirked as he formed an orb of water between his hands. He quickly launched the Water Pulse at the ground and it exploded in a wave of water that raced across the field.

Marowak, with no way to protect itself and no time to react was hit hard by the super effective attack and washed into the Gym wall.

"Now finish this with Skull Bash!" Ash said.

Squirtle flew down the field as a white field of energy enveloped him. He crashed into Marowak, causing an explosion that covered the field with smoke.

An automatic vent turned on and quickly cleared the field, revealing a triumphant looking Squirtle, and an unconscious Marowak.

"Marowak is unable to battle, Squirtle wins!"

"Squirtle squirt," Squirtle said cockily as he walked back over to Ash's side of the field.

The Leader silently returned his Marowak. "An excellent battle, you are obviously a strong trainer," he finally said. He pulled out another Pokéball and released the Pokémon within, "Now let's see what you make of this."

With a flash of light, a large Nidoking appeared on the field. He stood tall and released a loud roar.

Ash gave a smirk, "Are you ready to take him down Squirtle?" he asked.

"Squirtle!" He replied, pumping his arms. Then, quite suddenly, his entire body was encased in white energy and he began to change.

Ash gasped as Squirtle started evolving. Distantly, he could hear Todd's camera snapping away.

The Pokémon grew bigger, half again his original size. Large fluffy ears grew from the sides of his head, and long fluffy hair grew out of his tail. Then the energy burst away to reveal a newly evolved Wartortle in all his glory.

"All right, great job Wartortle," Ash said happily.

"Well, it appears things just got more interesting," the gym leader commented, "Are you ready to continue?"

"Oh yeah," Ash said confidently, "Wartortle, use Hydro Pump!"

Wartortle reacted instantly, withdrawing into his shell and unleashing powerful streams of water from each of the holes. He began spinning and moving towards Nidoking.

"Earth Power," the gym leader countered instantly.

Nidoking started glowing golden, and he slammed his fist into the ground with a roar. The earth cracked underneath their feet, and a surge of molten earth erupted right at the Hydro Pump, neutralizing it.

"Excellent," the gym leader said, "now use Thunderbolt!"

"What!" Ash shouted in shock.

Nidoking roared, and fired a bolt of electricity from its horn right at Wartortle. The Turtle Pokémon screamed in pain as the super effective attack surged through it, causing massive damage. He fell to his knees as the attack ended, panting heavily. Luckily Nidoking wasn't an Electric-Type, or the attack would have done much more damage.

"Now, I believe it's time to finish this battle," the leader said, "Use Hyper Beam!"

Nidoking roared again as it charged an orb of orange energy on front of his mouth and fired the beam at Wartortle.

"I don't think so," Ash said, "Protect!" he commanded.

Instantly, a green sphere of energy surrounded Wartortle, and the Hyper Beam was completely deflected.

"What!" the leader said angrily.

"Quick, now that Nidoking is frozen, lets use Water Pulse!" Ash ordered.

Wartortle quickly formed a large ball of compressed water between his paws. He spent an extra minutes increasing it energy befor he was ready to launch.

Wartortle fired it into the air, it soared in an ark to come crashing down on the Drill Pokémon. Nidoking, frozen from using Hyper Beam, could do nothing but watch as the massive orb of water came down on him. It landed with a huge crash, covering the battlefield in a wave of water.

When the liquid finally washed away, Nidoking was revealed to be unconscious.

"Nidoking is unable to battle, Wartortle is the winner!" the judge announced.

"Well I must say Ash, you've given me a most illuminating battle," the leader said as he returned Nidoking. He pulled out another Pokéball and said, "Just one more to defeat and you get my badge, however I must warn you, this is my strongest Pokémon. Are you ready?"

"Always," Ash replied confidently.

"Very well, Rhydon go!" the ball in his hand popped open and a large and powerful looking Rhydon took to the field.

Ash frowned as he looked at Wartortle, he was panting heavily, obviously exhausted from using his last attack.

"Wartortle return," Ash said, recalling his Water Type. He looked down at Riolu and nodded, "Riolu, to the battlefront!"

Riolu nodded and leapt out to the field, "Ri rio ri," he said, pumping his arms and ready to battle.

"Interesting," the gym leader mused, "Shall we begin?"

Ash merely nodded, giving him the first move this time.

"Alright, Rhydon use Rock Polish," he said.

Ash stiffened slightly, 'That'll give him a speed advantage,' he thought.

"Use Vacuum Wave!" Ash ordered.

Riolu slashed his arms, firing a crescent blade of fighting energy at Rhydon.

"Counter with Rock Blast!" the gym leader said.

Rhydon quickly leaned forward as its horn started glowing bright silver. He quickly launched several silver projectiles from his horn, the first of which impacted the Vacuum Wave, causing it to explode. The rest continued through the smoke and flew right at Riolu.

"Agility!" Ash snapped.

Riolu vanished in a burst of speed, stopping on the other side of the field.

"Force Palm!" Ash said quickly.

Riolu ran forwards and pressed his glowing palm to Rhydon's back. He detonated the Fighting type attack and sent the Drill Pokémon flying across the field. He landed with a big crash at Ash's feet.

"Rhydon, use Take Down!" the gym leader ordered.

Rhydon got to its feet and barreled down the field towards Riolu as his body took on a white glow.

"Detect!" Ash ordered, "then Brick Break."

Riolu's eyes flashed and he easily evaded the incoming Rhydon. He then jumped behind Rhydon and brought a glowing paw down in a painful karate chop.

"Rhyyyy," it cried out, collapsing to the ground.

"Now use Cross Chop," Ash said.

Riolu crossed his arms together and they started glowing with power. He launched himself at Rhydon and crashed into it with a powerful explosion.

As the smoke cleared, Rhydon struggled to its feet glaring heavily at Riolu.

"Good, now use Drill Run!" the gym leader ordered.

The Drill Pokémon's entire body began rotating quickly like a drill. He rocketed down the field and smashed into Riolu before the Emanation Pokémon could react.

Riolu yelled out in pain from the attack.

"Now quickly use Rock Blast," the gym leader ordered.

Once again Rhydon launched a barrage of stone projectiles from its horn. They impacted against and around Riolu.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted, hearing his Pokemon's cries of pain. His eyes suddenly widened as he felt something resonate in his aura.

From the dust, a blue glowing orb rocketed out and slammed into Rhydon with an explosion.

"Rhyy!" it cried out.

"What?" the gym leader yelled out in surprise and fury.

"That was an Aura Sphere," Brock said in disbelief, "Riolu shouldn't be able to learn that!"

"You don't have to tell me," Ash said.

The dust around Riolu cleared and he stood smirking, a light smoking coming from his paws.

Ash grinned, "Alright riolu, lets finish this, Aura Sphere!"

Riolu brought his paws together and formed a compressed sphere of aura, launching it at Rhydon at top speed. It impacted against Rhydon again with an explosion and it cried out once again.

When the smoke cleared, Rhydon was revealed to be unconscious.

"Rhyhorn is unable to battle, Riolu is the winner," the judge announced, "Ash wins the match!"

Ash grinned and shouted with delight, "We did it Riolu, our eight Gym Badge!"

"Ri riolu ri ri!" Riolu ran over and jumped into Ash's hug.

At the same time, Rhydon was silently returned to it's own Pokéball. "An excellent match, you are most worthy to earn my badge," the gym leader said. Ash looked up just in time to see a small metal object come soaring through the air, which he easily caught.

It was a small green plant like symbol, the Earth badge.

Ash smiled as he put it into his badge case. He turned to the Gym Leader, "Thank you for the battle," he said with a bow. The man merely grunted in acknowledgment. Ash turned and left the building, his friends hot on his heels.

Once he was out the door, the Gym Leader pressed a hidden button on his chair and spoke, "Send Butch and Cassidy after this trainer. I want his Pokémon."

"Yes sir," a disembodied voice responded.

* * *

"That was a great battle Ash," Brock said as soon as they cleared the gym.

"Thanks, I finally got my eighth badge," Ash said happily, "Now I can compete in the Pokémon League."

"Do you know where it is?" Misty asked.

"I know it's at the Indigo Plateau, but I'm not sure when," Ash said, looking thoughtful.

"Why don't you ask Professor Oak?" Misty suggested.

Ash grinned, "Better yet, let's go to Pallet Town, it's been a long time since I've been home."

"That sounds great, then we can meet Professor Oak in person," Brock said.

"Awesome, we can leave tomorrow," Ash turned to Todd, "What about you Todd? Will you join us?"

"No, I don't think so," Todd said, "I was planning on going to Cerulean Cape to take some pictures of Water Pokémon."

"Oh I love Cerulean Cape," Misty said dreamily.

"Have you been there before?" Todd asked.

"Oh lots of times," Misty said, "I grew up in Cerulean City, in fact I'm one of the Gym Leaders at the Cerulean Gym."

"Really? Any pointers on the best spot to see Pokémon?" Todd asked.

They reached the Pokémon Center; Misty went off with the photographer, explaining about the cape in detail while Ash and Brock went to get a room for the night.

That night, Ash went to sleep content, dreaming of his battles at the Pokémon League.

* * *

As Ash and friends pulled over the crest of the last hill, Ash stopped and took a deep breath.

"Ah, there's no place like home," he commented, stretching his arms out and taking in the vision that was Pallet Town.

"So this is Pallet?" Brock asked as he gazed the little town.

"Yep," Ash said. "And do you see that building at the top of the hill? With the red roof and the windmill, that's the Professor's Laboratory."

"Can we go visit the Professor now?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, mom's probably at the restaurant right now so we can go see her later," Ash said.

They made their way through the small town in relative silence. Occasionally, Ash would stop and say hello to one of is neighbors. Finally, the reached the bottom of the hill and made their way up the steps to the Oak Lab.

Pushing the door open, Ash walked in followed by his friend's, "Professor Oak! It's me Ash!"

"Ah, what a surprise," Oak said walking up to them, "Oh my, is that the Togepi?" he leaned forwards to get a good look at Misty's little Egg Pokémon.

"It certainly is Professor," Misty said happily as Togepi trilled in her arms, "I wanted to thank you again for giving me that Pokédex."

"Ah think nothing of it my dear," the Professor said as he led them down the hall to his sitting room. "It just so happens that you're not the only Pokémon trainers to stop by today."

They walked in to see Gary sitting on one of the couches, drinking a cup of tea. He looked up to see Ash entering the room, and a smirk made it's way to his face. "Ashy boy," he greeted, "It's nice to see you finally got here, I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it."

"Yeah well not all of us have fancy sports cars to chauffeur us around to the gyms," Ash said, then he smirked and said, "You're not compensating for anything are you?"

Gary's eyes narrowed as a light blush appeared on his face, "No!" he said angrily, "you better remember our deal, and I want to take you down myself."

"Oh don't worry," Ash replied, "I don't plan on losing any of my matches."

"Now now, why can't Pallet's two top Pokémon trainer's get along?" Oak said, trying to defuse the tension.

"Top trainers?" both Ash and Gary said at the same time, both looking at Sam in surprise.

"That's right," the professor said proudly, "The other two trainers that left at the same time as you two just couldn't take it. You are the only trainers to have earned all the badges you need to compete. Gary earned ten badges, while Ash earned 8."

He then stood up and went to his computer, "Gary, Ash, may I see your Pokédex's?" he asked.

Sure Gramps," Gary said. Both he and Ash pulled out their Pokédex's and handed them to Oak. He slid them into a computer port and began scanning them.

"Very interesting," he commented as he read the data on the screen.

"What?" Misty asked, interested.

"Well, according to this information, Gary has seen about 60 different Pokémon while Ash has seen over a hundred and fifty," he explained.

Ash merely nodded while Gary sweat dropped.

"Gary however, has captured more than ten times as many as Ash has," he finished.

Gary got this cocky smirk on his face, while Ash's eyes widened. He glanced at Gary incredulously.

'Why would he need to capture so many?' he wondered.

"I have an idea Grandpa," Gary said, "Let's go to your lab and show him all of the Pokémon I caught." he turned to Ash with a cocky smirk on his face, "That way you can learn how a real Pokémon Trainer does things."

Ash rolled his eyes.

"That's a good idea," the Professor easily agreed, "Let's Poké-round in my laboratory!"

Ash ignored the eccentric old man through long practice and followed him deeper into the building.

They came upon a room with steel automatic doors. Oak typed in a password into the keypad next to the door and it slid open. Inside was a massive room filled with endless metal shelves of Pokéballs.

"Well, here we are," said Oak, spreading his arms in welcome, "This is where all of the Pallet Town's trainers Pokéballs are kept."

"Wow," Brock and Misty said, looking around. Neither Ash nor Gary were all that impressed having been here many times.

"Over on these shelves are where I keep the Pokémon that Gary has captured. The last count I believe was over two hundred," Oak was commenting.

Ash rolled his eyes at the ridiculous amount of Pokémon Gary had. It would require an exorbitant amount of time to train that many to any worthwhile heights, meaning that most of his Pokémon would live out the rest of their lives here at the ranch.

"Training isn't just about capturing Pokémon," Ash said, "I may not have a lot of Pokémon, but my team is very diverse and well trained. And since my team is so small I can spend more time training each of my Pokémon.

Professor Oak nodded, "Very good Ash, your training style, while completely opposite Gary's can be just as effective if not more so if you do it right. I'm very impressed with how both of you have grown, and I look forwards to seeing you in the Pokémon League."

"Thank Sam," Ash said.

"Yeah thanks gramps," Gary said.

"Professor Oak, when is the Pokémon League being held this year?" Misty asked.

"Ah yes," Oak said, "I assume you both know where it is?" he asked Ash and Gary.

"Of course," Gary said.

"On the Indigo Plateau," Ash said.

"Very good," oak said, "The conference is set to begin in exactly two months time so I suggest you start training."

"I will Professor," Ash said.

"This seems like an awful lot of work," Bock commented, "How do you keep up with it all?"

"It's actually not as hard as you'd think Brock," Oak said. "Every morning when I wake up, I come to perform a check on all of the Pokémon. Once that's finished, I set up an automatic release program that sends all of the Pokémon in these Pokéballs out onto the ranch."

He led them out of the main building and out to the backyard. That is, if a hundred acres of nothing but green grass and trees filled with Pokémon could be called a backyard.

"I have a team of Pokémon breeder's working here with me in charge of feeding the Pokémon and ensuring they are in the best of health. While they are doing that, I begin my research. For example, I've recently been studying the variations between different Pokémon of the same species; it's very interesting.

"Once the breeders have finished feeding the Pokémon their dinner, I activate a recall system that bring all of the Pokémon back to their balls for the night."

"You must get to learn a lot," Brock commented as they walked around.

"Yes," he agreed, "Living here certainly gives me a unique opportunity to research and communicate with lots of different Pokémon.

"However spending my time here has been nothing compared to the incredible discoveries that Ash and you two have made. Many of the reports and videos Ash has sent me have had me practically salivating with a desire to travel again." Sam looked wistfully into the distance as he said this.

Gary snorted, "What kind of discoveries? How many Magikarp you can capture in a clean river?"

"Oh no Gary," Oak said, "Why recently Ash sent me a video of the actual Mysterious Garden."

"What?" Gary said in shock, turning to Ash, "You saw the Mysterious Garden? And the Bulbasaur evolution festival?"

"Yeah, my Bulbasaur was one of the ones who evolved," Ash said, "It was incredible."

"And beautiful," Misty added dreamily.

"And I believe you were there at Grampa Canyon when the discovery was made of those Fossil Pokémon," Oak continued, speaking to Gary.

"Yeah," Gary mumbled.

"And of course there was the Giant Dragonite that he and my good friend Bill met. That was several months ago."

Gary's expression was quite sour by now. He turned to Ash, "So where are your Pokémon anyway?"

"I keep them on me," Ash responded.

Gary choked out a laugh, "What? You only have six Pokémon?"

"No, I have ten," Ash responded, "Surely you know that Field Researchers have a limit of twelve Pokémon right?"

"Field Researcher?" Gary yelped, whirling on his grandfather, "You made him a Field Researcher? But not me?"

"That's correct Gary," Oak replied succinctly, "And it is this because of this attitude right here that I did not grant you the same privilege."

Hoping to prevent an argument, Brock intervened and changed the subject, "Wow Professor, this place is really great, the Pokémon must love it here," the breeder said.

"I certainly hope so Brock," he replied, turning away from a fuming Gary, "I designed this place so I could study Pokémon the proper way: in their natural habitats, living free. When Pokémon live in an environment similar to the one they were born in, it's easier to see how they are affected by their individual trainers."

There was a sudden explosion in the distance, and smoke could be seen rising above the tree line. The whole group whirled around to face the smoke.

"That smoke is coming from the Electric Pokémon Preserve," Oak said, "Let's go quickly."

"It's too far away to get there on foot," Gary said. He pulled a Pokéball from his belt and tossed it into the air, "Fearow, I choose you!" Out of the ball appeared a large flying type Pokémon. Gary quickly climbed on it's back and took off.

"He's right; Aerodactyl!" Ash threw his Poké ball and released the ancient flying type. He had spent countless hours working with Aerodactyl since he'd captured it, befriending it and earning its trust, but his work had paid off.

"Let's go," Ash and Riolu climbed onto Aerodactyl's back and together they flew off in pursuit of Gary.

They came upon the enclosure, and began descending quickly. Fearow easily alighted on the fence, while Aerodactyl landed just inside with a thud. Both trainer's leapt off of their respective Pokémon and charged towards the smoke.

They came upon a scene of horror. A massive crater in the ground with dozens of knocked out Voltorb and Electrode. Other Pokémon had been caught in the blast as well; several Magnemite, an Electabuzz and even a Jolteon were smoking in the crater.

On the other side of the crater stood a man with green hair and a woman with long blond hair, they wore matching black uniforms with a large letter R on the chest.

"Team Rocket," Ash growled, remembering his last encounter with the criminal gang on the St. Anne.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gary demanded.

"Oh look, a little boy wants to play," the woman said.

"I think we should introduce ourselves," the man said.

"Prepare for trouble," the woman said.

"And Make it double," the man continued.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"Butch!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!" The two Team Rocket members tossed Pokéballs into the air and released a powerful looking Nidoqueen and Cloyster.

"Now hand over your Pokémon and no one needs to get hurt," Cassidy said, smirking evilly.

"Particularly you," Butch added, pointing straight at Ash.

"How about no," Ash growled, "Riolu use Aura Sphere on that Cloyster."

"What he said," Gary added, throwing his Poké ball, "Golem use Stone Edge on Nidoqueen."

Both Pokémon launched their respective attacks with impressive speed. The fighting and rock attacks exploded on and around Butch and Cassidy's Pokémon before they could react, eliciting cries of pain from them.

"Grr, Nidoqueen use Earth Power!" Cassidy shouted.

"Cloyster use Icicle Crash!" Butch ordered.

"Dodge!" Ash and Gary shouted.

Riolu nimbly leapt around the falling icicles, while Golem curled into a ball and used Rollout to get away from the cracking earth.

"Keep going with Rollout!" Gary ordered.

Golem picked up speed and slammed into Nidoqueen, sending it flying back.

"Riolu Force Palm," Ash ordered.

"Cloyster withdraw!" Butch ordered.

Riolu leapt at Cloyster and pressed his palm against it's shell. Cloyster sealed it's shell just in time; Riolu's Force Palm detonated, blasting it several meters away.

"Follow up with Brick Break," Ash ordered.

Riolu raced after Cloyster and brought a glowing paw down on it's still closed shell.

"Don't let up, Cross Chop!" Ash commanded.

Riolu crossed his arms and leapt at Cloyster, impacting against it with an explosion.

Golem repeatedly slammed into Nidoqueen, quickly dodging it's retaliatory attacks with its ever increasing speed.

"Double Kick!" "Earth Power!" "Brick Break!" Cassidy was becoming increasingly frustrated.

Finally Gary called Golem to stop, "Lets finish this. Use Hyper Beam!" he ordered.

Golem launched the most powerful attack at Nidoqueen and it exploded against the Drill Pokémon, instantly knocking her out.

Riolu backed away from Cloyster after his last attack. It's shell relaxed open to reveal Cloyster was unconscious.

"No Cloyster!"

"Nidoqueen!, You'll pay for this you twerps!"

"Ash" Misty had arrived, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leapt into the air and launched a massive bolt of electricity at Buff and Cassidy.

"Oh no you don't," Cassidy growled, "Rhydon, take care of this!" she released a massive Drill Pokémon in front of her. It's Lightningrod ability activated and absorbed the thunderbolt, doing no damage.

"Go Hypno, help her out!" Buffer ordered as he released a Psychic type. "Use Shadow Ball!"

"Rhydon, use Horn Drill!" Cassidy ordered.

Hypno brought his hands together and formed a dark purple ball of shadows and launched it at Pikachu. At the same time, Rhydon went charging towards the Mouse Pokémon with his large horn rotating at high speed.

Gary threw another Poké ball, "Go Arcanine! Use Protect."

There was a flash of Light as Gary's Pokéball released the Fire Type. Arcanine stood in front of Pikachu and a green barrier of energy formed around them. A moment later, the Shadow Ball impacted against the shield and exploded, doing no damage to the Pokémon.

"Riolu, Agility into Cross Chop," Ash ordered, "Take care of that Rhydon!"

Riolu vanished in a burst of speed and slammed into the charging Ground/Rock Type. There was an explosion as his attack connected, sending Rhydon flying back.

"Now Arcanine, use Fire Blast on that Hypno!" Gary ordered.

Arcanine launched the attack, a gout of flame that reshaped into a five point star. There was a huge explosion as the attack landed, and when the smoke cleared, Hypno was completely knocked out.

"Rhyhorn!" Cassidy shouted, she quickly returned her Pokémon as Bum did the same with his Hypno.

"Grr, you're going to pay for this, Patch let's get them," Cassidy said angrily.

"MY NAME IS BUTCH!" Botch shouted at her.

"Hurricane!" Ash shouted, throwing another Poké ball into the air.

Pidgeot burst out with a screech as her wings took on a light blue glow. She flapped them hard, creating a heavy wind interlaced with blades of energy. The attack slammed into Team Rocket and sent them and their Pokémon flying off into the sky.

"Oh yeah!" Gary cheered, "Take that losers!" He turned and gave Ash a high five.

"Thanks for the help," Ash said.

"No problem," Gary said, "We make a pretty good team don't we?"

"Sure do," Ash agreed.

"Hey Ash!" Brock called.

They turned to see Brock and Sam come running up.

"Oh my word!" Oak said as he looked at the field, "What on earth happened?"

Ash quickly explained.

"We must hurry and get these Pokémon healed," the Professor said once Ash finished.

Together Ash, Gary, and Sam worked to heal the electric types with practiced efficiency, having done so many times before their respective journeys began. Brock and Misty helped where they could, and soon they were finished.

"Excellent work, all of you," Professor Oak said once they'd finished, "I can't thank you enough for getting rid of those troublemakers Gary and Ash."

"No problem," Ash said.

"Don't mention it gramps," Gary waved his hand dismissively, "Well, I'm going to head home, see you at the Pokémon League Ash."

"I'll be there," Ash said, nodding to his rival.

"Excellent, now I suggest you head home as well," Sam said, "I believe your mother should be getting off of work soon."

Ash nodded and led Brock and Misty to his house. His mother was home, and she greeted all of them like long time friends and offered them house room until the Pokémon League. Afterwards she made a spectacular welcome home feast and sent them off to bed.

* * *

-Begin training montage with musical accompaniment-

 _Pokémon!_

Ivysaur hitting Scyther with a Vine Whip

 _No time to question my moves_

Charmeleon using Flamethrower on a boulder

 _I stick to the path that I choose_

Wartortle racing across a lake

 _Me and my friends are gonna do it right_

Aerodactyl performing aerial maneuvers with Pidgeot

 _You'll never see us run away from a fight_

Dratini firing an Ice Beam at Ivysaur

 _To be a Master is my dream_

Riolu and Jolteon practicing Agility

 _All I've got to do is believe_

Haunter smashing a cream pie in Ash's face

 _I've got a chance to win_

Riolu firing an Aura Sphere at Aerodactyl

 _I'm on my way to victory_

Charmeleon using Iron Tail on Ivysaur

 _Pokémon!_

Ivysaur firing Leaf Storm at Wartortle

 _I can be a Champion if I just believe_

Wartortle using Water Pulse on Charmeleon

 _I'm on a Master Quest_

Jolteon firing Thunderbolt at Dratini

 _I want the whole world to see_

Haunter using Shadow Ball

 _I'm gonna be the very best_

Pidgeot using Giga Impact

 _'Cause all I've got to do is believe in me._

Riolu fires several Aura Spheres into the air creating fireworks.

 _Pokémon!_

* * *

"Hey Sam," Ash called as he walked into the lab, "Are you here?"

"I'm in my lab Ash," he called in reply.

Ash walked into the lab room and saw Sam typing away at a Computer. He quickly finished up what he was working on and shut down the device.

"So Ash," he began, "I assume you'll be leaving for the league tomorrow?"

Ash nodded, "That's right, I want to get there with plenty of time to practice before the actual battling starts."

"I understand Ash," the professor said, "Good luck, I'll be rooting for you."

"Thanks Sam," Ash said as he walked out.

"Oh one more thing Ash," he suddenly said, causing Ash to turn back.

"The League rules limit your carry capacity to six Pokémon for official battles, I understand that you won't try and cheat but it will probably be easier if you stick with six Pokémon until the League is over."

"All right Professor, I understand," Ash said, he pulled four Pokéballs from his belt and handed them back to the Professor.

"Thank you Ash, I'll see you at Indigo Plateau," Sam said, waving goodbye.

Ash nodded and left, making his way back home.

-scene break-

"Are you guys ready to go?" Ash asked as he checked his own backpack, making sure he had everything.

"I'm ready," Misty said. Togepi sat in her arms as usual, trilling away happily.

"Just about," Brock said as he put his sleeping bag into his enormous backpack.

Satisfied he had everything, Ash slipped his backpack on over his long coat and put his guardian hat on.

"Good luck honey," Delia said as she gave Ash a hug, "I'll be rooting for you!"

"Thanks mom," Ash said as he returned the hug.

"Goodbye Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said.

"Thanks for having us over," Brock said.

"It was my pleasure," she said, "You're welcome to come back at any time."

"Thank you," they both said in stereo.

The three trainers walked out the door and started hiking down the path out of town.

* * *

 **And here ends Chapter 11.**

 **Finally, Ash now has all eight badges and is heading out to the Indigo League. However, he has something he has to do first...**

 **Read, Review...**


	12. Chapter 12

They'd made good time in the two day's they'd been traveling. The next stop was the Pokémon center at Old Shore Wharf for a break and then onto the Indigo Plateau.

"Hey you there!" a loud voice called, drawing Ash's attention. He looked over to see a trainer pointing at him. He wore a yellow vest over his bare chest, purple shorts, blue and white sneakers, and a red bandana tied around his head. There were two Pokéballs attached to the left side of his vest.

"Can I help you?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I'm looking for a Pokémon Trainer named Ash from Pallet Town," he said, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know him," Ash replied, "He's me."

"My names Raymond," he said, "Lets have a match, unless you're afraid to lose!" he grabbed one of the Pokéballs from his vest and brandished it.

"I'm never afraid," Ash replied, "Dratini to the Battlefront."

"Go Donphan!" Raymond shouted.

Both Pokémon burst from their balls and landed on the field, ready to battle.

"Donphan, Rollout!" Raymond ordered.

"Use Agility to dodge, then Ice Beam!" Ash countered.

Donphan curled into a ball and began rolling down the field at high speed.

Dratini vanished in a blur of speed, allowing Donphan to roll right passed where he once sat. A moment later he stopped moving and fired a beam of freezing energy straight at Donphan; the attack impacted against its side, knocking it off course and causing it to crash.

"Now Dragon Breath," Ash ordered.

Dratini fired a blast of green flames that enveloped Donphan and knocked it out.

Raymond growled as he returned his Pokémon.

"Let's see how you like this," he said angrily as he tossed another Pokéball.

Out appeared a massive and muscular Machamp.

"Use Karate Chop!" Raymond ordered.

Machamp ran forward as it's open hand started glowing white.

"Dragon Tail!" Ash ordered.

Just as Machamp reached Dratini, he flipped around and slammed his tail into it's chest, sending Machamp flying back where it collapsed unconscious at Raymonds feet.

Ash sighed, his opponents Pokémon weren't very well trained.

"Grrr, how dare you!" Raymond yelled. A moment later, he had taken his final three Pokéballs and threw all of them at once. "Get him!" he ordered.

The Pinsir, Golem, and Venomoth that appeared charged towards Ash. Ash was reaching towards his belt for backup, when a sudden glow lit up the field. He gasped; Dratini was evolving.

His body tripled in length. His two ears grew larger to resemble small wings and the little knob on his forehead lengthened into a horn. A large orb grew onto the base of his neck and two more orbs appeared at the end of his tail.

The energy burst away to reveal a newly evolved Dragonair, roaring with fury. A teal glow enveloped him, quickly reforming into the shape of a ferocious dragon. He raced across the field and slammed into the three attacking Pokémon, sending them flying back in a massive explosion.

Raymond, who was staring slack-jawed at Dragonair, quickly returned his Pokémon and fled.

Ash snorted as he went up to examine his Pokémon. Dragonair gracefully curled up on the ground before Ash, lowering his head to be petted. Ash grinned, "You looked awesome Dragonair."

"Aaaair," he replied deeply.

Ash returned him and went to eat lunch.

About half an hour later, Ash suddenly looked up from his nearly empty bowl. He could sense something flying towards them very fast.

"Look out!" he yelled, pushing himself away from the table. Brock and Misty dove for cover just as something large and yellow zoomed right over the picnic table, knocking it over.

Looking around, Ash quickly stood up just as a large Dragonite landed in front of him. It was easily ten feet tall, and had a large black back hanging from its shoulder. It reached into its bag pulled out a simple envelope, and handed it to Ash.

Frowning, Ash ripped open the letter and pulled out a small grey card with a Pokéball symbol on it. The center button on the Pokéball lit up, and formed a hologram of a woman wearing a bulky maroon dress in the middle of a curtsy.

"Wow," Misty commented from over Ash's shoulder.

"Greetings Pokémon Trainers, I bear an invitation," the woman said.

"She's really small but really pretty," Brock said dreamily. Ash rolled his eyes.

"You have been chosen to join a select group of Pokémon trainers at a special gathering," She continued, "It will be hosted by my master, the world's greatest Pokémon trainer at his palace on New Island."

The image of the woman faded to be replaced by a small map of the ocean.

"A chartered ferry will leave from Old Shore Wharf to take you to the island this afternoon. Only trainers who present this invitation will be admitted. Should you decide to attend, you must reply at once! My master awaits you."

With that, she gave another curtsy and the image vanished.

"Uh, is there a rewind button?" Brock asked.

Misty ignored him, instead asking, "Should we go?"

"Of course we should!" Brock shouted, startling Ash and Misty slightly, "I've gotta meet her!"

"Sounds like a great warm-up match for the Pokémon League," Ash said, "But do we have time?"

"Of course," Brock said instantly, "The League doesn't start for another week."

"I suppose I'll say yes then," Ash said. He pulled the other card from the envelope and checked the yes square. After giving it back to the Dragonite, they watched as he lifted off and flew back to wherever he came from.

Quickly packing up camp, they started making their way to Old Shore Wharf.

* * *

A tremendous rain storm pounded down on the group as they raced towards the wharf. They quickly made it to the building and ran through the automatic doors, shaking the water loose from their clothing. Riolu shook himself vigorously, followed by Pikachu.

"Togepi's totally soaked," Misty complained as she pulled out a towel and started drying the little egg.

"I can't believe how fast that storm came in," Brock commented.

Looking around, they noticed a large crowd growing near the doors to the docks. Blocking the entrance was an Officer Jenny and a woman wearing a blue uniform. Ash pushed his way to the front of the crowd to find out what's going on.

"It's not just rain," Jenny was saying, trying to placate the crowd, "the harbor manager thinks this could be the worst storm ever."

"Listen to me," Miranda, the harbor manager said, "the prophets have predicted the return of The Winds of Water. For years I have prayed that mankind would never witness that deadly storm ever again."

"Isn't that just a legend?" Officer Jenny asked, gazing at the manager in surprise.

"The ancient writings tell of a storm wiping out all but a few Pokémon. In their sorrow, the water of their tears somehow restored the lives lost in the storm. But there are no Pokémon tears today, just water's which no one can survive," Miranda said ominously.

"And that's why your ferry to New Island's been canceled," Jenny said with finality.

"Well I'm going to New Island anyway," a young man shouted out, "I'll my Pokémon are Water Type, we'll just swim over to that palace."

"I warn you," Miranda said quickly, almost desperately, "The waves will be savage, you will never make it."

"And besides," Jenny said angrily, "If you tried that stunt and your Pokémon got hurt, you'd be out of luck because we had to close down the Pokémon Center."

"What? Why?" Ash asked.

"Because the Nurse in charge of the center disappeared last month," Jenny explained, "And if any of you see her, please contact me at once. That's a picture of her over there on the wall."

Brock walked over to look at the missing poster, but Misty dragged him away before he could say anything. Ash, his friends, and three other trainers ran out to the wharf.

Ash tossed a Pokéball into the air and released his Dragonair. All three of them climbed onto his back and they flew out over the ocean.

Another kid wearing a teal muscle shirt released a Gyarados and leapt onto it's back just as another teen released a Pidgeot. The final girl released a Dewgong into the ocean and jumped to it's back. Together the six trainers flew/swam out into the massive storm towards New Island.

The winds were extremely strong as they buffeted the Pokémon. Down in the ocean, the water Pokémon swam strongly, constantly battling the waves.

After a few minutes, they burst through the clouds into the massive eye of the storm. Instantly the winds stopped blowing and the waters became calm. In the dead center of the eye was a large island.

It looked mostly human built, with large buildings covering it and multiple windmills to provide electricity. At the base of the island was a small dock with a glowing lantern guiding the way. Dragonair flew ahead and was the first to land. Ash, Brock, and Misty quickly hopped off his back and Ash returned him.

As the other trainers arrived, Ash watched as the woman from the message walked up to them.

"My master bids you welcome to New Island, would you kindly present your invitations," she said emotionlessly.

Ash looked at her closely as he absently pulled the invitation from his pocket. As one, all of the holograms activated, forming the woman in front of them.

"The bearers of this invitation may be admitted to New Island," the holograms said.

"Hey, aren't you the Nurse Joy who's been missing from the Pokémon Center?" Brock suddenly asked.

"What?" she asked, her voice still void of emotion.

"Yeah, you look just like her," Misty said.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken, I have always dwelt on this island and have always been in the service of my master. Now please, come this way," with that the turned around and began walking up a long staircase.

The six trainers followed her in silence as they climbed the stairs. Eventually, they emerged onto a large balcony. She led them to a massive set of stone door that opened by themselves as they approached.

They walked into a massive dining hall. Stone pillars covered the place and on the left and right sides of the hall were two large fountains. In the center of the hall was a large dining table with ornate golden chairs placed around it.

"Now that you are here, all trainers worthy of an audience with my master are present," the woman said.

"But, what about the rest," Misty asked, "There were bunches of trainers waiting on the wharf."

"Only those trainers capable of braving the storm have proven themselves worthy in my master's eyes," she said.

"You mean that storm was some sort of test?" Brock asked.

"That's impossible," said the teen in the orange jacket, "No one can make a storm like that."

"Please release your Pokémon from your Pokéballs and take a seat," she said, not bothering to answer Brock's question, "It will not be long before my master's intentions are clear."

With that final ominous note, the massive doors swung shut and sealed them in. The woman walked away and the trainers made their way to the dining table.

"We haven't been introduced yet," the girl wearing a purple shirt said, "I'm Neesha, and these are my Pokémon." She tossed six Pokéballs into the air and released a Wigglytuff, a Rapidash, a Blastoise, a Vileplume, Ninetails, and a Dewgong.

"The name's Fergus," the boy in the teal muscle shirt introduced, "Say hello to my Pokémon." He released a horde of Water Pokémon and a Nidoqueen. There was a Gyarados, a Seadra, a Golduck, a Tentacruel, and a Vaporeon.

"I'm Corey," said the boy in the orange jacket, "meet my Pokémon." He released a Venusaur, a Hitmonlee, a Scyther, a Rhyhorn, a Pidgeot, and a Sandslash.

"I'm Ash, this is Misty and Brock," Ash introduced. He took five balls from his belt and tossed them into the air. With a brilliant flash of light, Ivysaur, Wartortle, Charmeleon, Jolteon, and Aerodactyl appeared.

Brock tossed out his own Pokémon, followed by Misty. With several flashes, Graveler, Zubat, Vulpix, Psyduck, Vaporeon, Kabutops, and Staryu appeared.

"That's quite a collection you guys got," Fergus commented.

Suddenly, all of the lights in the room went out. A beam of light formed straight down the middle of the stairs and the woman suddenly spoke up. "You are about to meet my master," she said, "The time has come for your encounter with the greatest Pokémon master on earth."

All of the Pokémon around them tensed, getting ready for a massive fight.

A figure appeared at the top of the light beam, slowly floating down. Even before he could see it, Ash felt massive waves of psychic energy practically leaking off of it, and that was without actively sensing for it.

It was predominantly colored light pink. It had a large head with two small horns; a small tube traveled from the base of its skull directly to its spine, bypassing its thin neck. It's chest and shoulders were well defined, almost looking like a breastplate. It had long spindly arms that ended in a three-fingered hand with bulbous tips. Its legs were more muscular and it stood on its toes similar to Riolu. Finally, it had a long and thick tail with a bulbous tip.

As it landed, it glared down at all of the trainers and Pokémon. Ash could feel intense hate emanating from it.

"Yes, the world's greatest Pokémon Master is also the world's most powerful Pokémon," the woman continued, "This is the ruler of New Island and soon the entire world: Mewtwo."

Riolu growled from beside Ash.

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at Mewtwo, before Fergus leapt to his feet. "A Pokémon can't be a Pokémon Master, no way!"

"Quite human, _from now on I am the one who makes the rules,"_ the woman said, but at the same time another voice was projected into all of their heads. It was deep and filled with such loathing that Ash flinched.

Mewtwo raised his hand and lashed out with a powerful Psychic attack. Fergus became covered in a fiery blue aura of psychic energy. He started yelling in pain as he was lifted twenty feet into the air.

Everyone gasped, staring up at Fergus in horror. Mewtwo merely watched as the boy screamed for nearly a minute, before giving a small laugh and launching Fergus into the pool with his Pokémon. He burst from the water spluttering and angry.

"We'll show you, go Gyarados Hyper Beam!" Fergus ordered.

The massive Atrocious Pokémon reared out of the water and fired a massive beam of energy at Mewtwo.

Mewtwo merely raised a hand and formed a Mirror Coat in front of itself. The Hyper Beam impacted against the Mirror Coat, and was reflected back. It crashed into Gyarados, instantly knocking the Water/Flying Type out.

" _Child's play,"_ Mewtwo said arrogantly, still using the woman's voice as well. He then turned to her and said, _"Your usefulness has ended."_ He waved his hand and she let out a gasp before starting to stumble.

Brock ran up to her and caught her just as she collapsed. The hat she was wearing fell off, revealing the bubblegum pink hair of Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock said happily as she came to.

"Uh, where am I, and how did I get here?" she asked as she looked around in confusion.

" _You have been under my control,"_ Mewtwo said, _"I transported you here from the Pokémon Center. You're knowledge of Pokémon physiology proved useful to my plan. And now I have cleansed your tiny human brain of memories from the past few weeks."_

"Just who are you?" Brock demanded.

" _I am the new ruler of this world, the master of humans and Pokémon alike,"_ Mewtwo said.

"You're just a bully!" Misty shouted.

Mewtwo scoffed " _Humans are a dangerous species,"_ he said, _"You brought me into your world with no other purpose but to be your slave. But now I have my own purpose; my storm will create my own world…by destroying yours."_

"So you hate all humans, and you're going to destroy us to save all Pokémon?" Brock said.

" _No,"_ Mewtwo refuted, _"Pokémon will not be spared either, they are just as guilty for allowing the humans to enslave them."_

Ash could feel the anger emanating from his Pokémon. Riolu, de facto leader of his Pokémon by nature of being his starter, stepped forward. "Ri riolu ri ri lu!" Riolu shouted at Mewtwo.

Mewtwo huffed, _"You are just as pathetic as the rest."_ Suddenly, his eyes started glowing and Riolu was flung into the air.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted. He leapt in front of Riolu and caught his starter. However Riolu impacted him with so much force that he went flying back several feet. Groaning he sat up, "Are you alright buddy?"

"Ri," he nodded.

 _"Humans and Pokémon can never be friends,"_ Mewtwo said.

"That's not up to you to decide," Ash said.

Corey stepped forward, "If you are a Pokémon then there's no reason I can't catch you," he said, "Go Rhyhorn, Horn Attack!"

His Rhyhorn let out a roar and charged at Mewtwo. As the Ground/Rock type leapt at the Psychic type, Mewtwo merely raised his hand and caught Rhyhorn's horn. The Spikes Pokémon flailed in surprise before being flung across the hall and into the nearby wall.

 _"Fools! Your Pokémon are no match for my power,"_ Mewtwo said arrogantly, _"I am far too strong to be weakened by your pathetic attacks."_

"Then you won't mind proving it in a real match," Ash challenged, clutching a Pokéball in his hand.

 _"Is that a challenge?"_ Mewtwo asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"Oh yeah, you bet it is," Ash said.

Ash could feel the amusement emanating off of Mewtwo in waves, like he was waiting for this very thing to happen. Around the Psychic type, large holes opened up in the floor. Out of the holes rose three very familiar, yet very different Pokémon.

It was a Charizard, a Blastoise, and a Venusaur. Except they all had unusual markings covering their bodies.

 _"Like most Pokémon trainers, I too started with Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle,"_ Mewtwo said, _"But for their evolved forms, I used their genetic material to clone more powerful versions."_

"Copies!" Neesha said in disgust.

"They're clones," Corey said.

Suddenly, the walls started shaking, and the massive window behind Mewtwo started melting away to reveal a massive battlefield.

"A stadium," Brock said, "Mewtwo planned this all along."

"You're fake Venusaur can't beat my real one," Corey said, "Right Bruteroot?" His Venusaur roared in agreement.

"You're Blastoise doesn't stand a chance, right Shellshocker?" Neesha asked, prompting her Blastoise to roar in agreement.

 _"Hm, very well,"_ Mewtwo said. His eye glowed and him and his three clone Pokémon were teleported to the opposite side of the field. _"Who will be the first to oppose me?"_

Corey's Venusaur stepped up and roared his challenge at Mewtwo.

"I underestimated you last time, but that won't happen again," Corey said.

Mewtwo gestured for his Venusaur to step forwards.

Ash watched in silence as 'Bruteroote' and 'Shellshocker' were quickly beaten by the clones.

" _Who is next?"_ Mewtwo asked as his 'Charizardtwo' stepped forward.

"Aerodactyl," Ash prompted.

"Aaaeero!" she cried out and took to the air.

"Thunder Fang," Ash ordered.

Aerodactyl's mouth started crackling with electricity as she flew at 'Charizardtwo.' The clone flew out to meet her, launching a powerful flamethrower in her face. With her Rock typing, Aerodactyl was able to ignore the attack and bit painfully down on the Charizard's shoulder. It cried out in pain, before grabbing tightly onto Aerodactyl and performing a Seismic Toss.

Aerodactyl cried out in pain as she was slammed into the floor, the power of the attack being so great that she was instantly knocked out.

"What?" Ash said in shock. He paled and looked up at Mewtwo; his clones were unnaturally powerful. Or...was he? Ash's closed his eyes and activated his aura sight. He gasped when Mewtwo's visage was lit up in his mind's eye. Psychic energy was flowing from him into the clones...he was cheating.

" _As the victor, I now claim my prize,"_ Mewtwo lifted his hands, three orbs appearing above him. They were Poké balls, but they had a very odd shape to them. " _Your Pokémon!"_ With a gesture, the Clone balls rocketed out and impacted against Bruteroote, Shellshocker, and Aerodactyl, absorbing them within.

"What?" Ash yelped, "That's impossible!"

"What are you going to do with those Pokémon?" Misty demanded.

"I will extract their dna to make clones for myself," Mewtwo said. He lifted his arms again, creating dozens of more Clone balls. "They will remain safe on this island with me, while my storm destroys the planet."

"You can't do this," Brock said.

"You'll have to go through me," Ash growled.

" _Do not attempt to defy me,"_ Mewtwo said, his eyes glowing once again.

Ash felt an aura of psychic energy envelope him and he was suddenly lifted into the air and tossed away like a rag doll. He landed with a painful crash on the dining table in the entrance hall.

"Riiii," Riolu yelped, running after Ash.

" _This is my world now,"_ Mewtwo said, and sent out his Clone balls. The balls swarmed the Pokémon, capturing them one by one despite their attempts to fight back. Corey, Fergus, and Neesha tried to help, hitting the Clone balls away from their Pokémon, but the balls were so numerous that it had little effect.

Misty cried out as Pikachu was taken from her shoulder, a loud "Pika" coming from the Pokémon in protest. She hurriedly tucked Togepi into her bag, but the rest of her Pokémon weren't so lucky. Psyduck, Vulpix, and Graveler were also taken, despite Brock's attempts to shield them.

Rubbing a lump in his head, Ash got up and looked in horror as the rest of his Pokémon were taken. Riolu was the last, vanishing in a surge of red energy before his eyes.

"Riolu!" he yelped, adrenaline surging through his body as he raced after the ball. Pillars on the sides of the room lifted into the air revealing a hole beneath them, down which all of the occupied Clone balls fled.

As the pillars began to lower once again, Ash fell into a slide and dropped down the hole just before it closed on him. He went sliding down a long tunnel, holding his hat to make sure it didn't blow off. After a moment he landed with a thump at the end of the tunnel and went rolling out onto a conveyor belt.

Groaning he quickly rolled off of the belt and landed on the ground. He stood up and looked around, he was in some kind of a laboratory. There was a large machine that took up most of the space, with many large tubes filled with liquid coming in and out of it. It was currently active, and judging by the Pokémon that were flowing through the tubes Ash knew what it was.

"This must be the cloning device," he mumbled.

Spying a computer he stepped over and pulled out his Pokénav, connecting it to the computer and downloading any information he could find on it. He clicked on the last log entry.

"I haven't got much time left," a man's voice sounded from the speakers. The video screen showed nothing but static, but Ash could hear screams in the background. "I pray this record of this experiment survives." Suddenly an image of a carved Pokémon appeared on the screen. "A year ago we discovered a fossil that proved to be the remains of the ancient Pokémon, Mew.

"There was sufficient genetic material to replicate mew. But Giovanni, who funded our project, insisted we try to design super clones even more powerful than any living Pokémon. Many attempts failed, but finally our experiments proved successful; we produced a living Pokémon. We called it: Mewtwo." An image of Mewtwo formed on the screen before it fizzled back into static.

"But for some reason the creature's anger is out of control, with its psychic powers it is destroying our laboratory. We dreamed of creating the world's most powerful Pokémon...and we succeeded." The entry came to an end on that ominous note.

"Hmm, Mewtwo must have rebuilt everything after destroying the lab," Ash said to himself, looking around.

Above the conveyor belt was a projector that was showing a silhouette of the Pokémon it was currently cloning. Riolu. He watched as the clone was ejected out into one of the tubes where it exited at the bottom and walked out of the room with the rest of it's clone brethren.

"I've got to get the Pokémon out of there," Ash said as he started typing. He accessed the dna sample database and clicked 'eject' on all of them. The conveyor belt trundled into reverse and Clone balls started coming out. One by one they burst open, releasing the Pokémon they'd forcefully captured, the first of which was Riolu.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted, running to hug his starter.

"Rio ri," Riolu ran and returned the hug enthusiastically.

More Pokémon emerged, Brock's Vulpix, Misty's Vaporeon, Neesha's Vileplume, and even more. Once all of the Pokémon had been freed Ash and Riolu lead the from the room, relying on their Aura Sight to find their way back to the stadium and the other trainers.

Ash and Riolu emerged into the stadium just as Mewtwo spoke.

" _With Pokémon and humans eliminated, clones shall inherit the world."_

"Like I said," Ash called, as he entered the stadium with all of the Pokémon at his back, "You'll have to go through me first."

" _It is useless to challenge me,"_ Mewtwo responded.

"You're going to destroy the world," Ash said, "we literally have nothing to lose. And I would rather go out fighting than let your damn storm kill me." And with that, Ash charged.

Mewtwo seemed so amused that Ash would actually attack him that he didn't react until the last minute. He quickly formed a barrier before himself, but Ash was expecting that. His hands began glowing blue as he let his aura loose. With a mighty swing, Ash punched the barrier with all of his might and it shattered. Mewtwo was so stunned that he didn't react as Ash's hand continued and slugged him right in the cheek.

Mewtwo stumbled back, one three fingered hand coming up to touch his face. His expression however quickly turned to fury. " _How dare you?"_ he roared and flicked his hand. Ash felt like he'd been punched in the gut by a ship anchor. He went flying high into the air, before gravity reclaimed him and he fell back down.

Just as he was about to most likely fatally hit the roof of the building, a pink bubble came into existence below him and he landed on that. The bubble completely absorbed his kinetic energy and he stopped moving. "What?" Ash gasped painfully, bewildered but grateful.

He looked up and blinked at the pink face that was staring down at him. He recognized it at once, from the video in the cloning lab. "Mew," he said in wonderment.

Mew flew down and popped the bubble, causing him to fall and land with a thump against the roof. He grunted in pain, even as Mew giggled in amusement. It then created another bubble and started bouncing on it, giggling all the while. Suddenly a Shadow Ball soared up and crashed through the bubble, causing it to explode with great force. Mew was flung away before it caught itself and looked to the source of the attack.

Mewtwo stood on the field, already charging another Shadow Ball. He launched it at Mew, but it teleported away and the Shadow Ball impacted against the massive windmill that rose from the structure behind it.

Mewtwo was relentless, launching Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball at Mew. She teleported away from each attack, causing massive collateral damage in the bleachers that surrounded the stadium. Mew seemed to actually be having fun, it was giggling as it teleported around.

Finally it came to a hovering stop before Mewtwo.

" _So, Mew, we meet at last,"_ Mewtwo said.

"Mew?" Fergus repeated in surprise.

Mew turned to face him, even as Mewtwo began speaking again.

" _I may have been created from your dna, but tonight I will prove that Mewtwo is better than the original. Superior to Mew."_

Mew, who'd been looking around and seemingly not paying attention to a thing Mewtwo said, suddenly turned to Mewtwo and gave a sad, "Mew."

Mewtwo lifted into the air, " _This world is too small for two of us."_

In a heartbeat Mew turned and fled, with Mewtwo chasing after him. Ash watched from the roof as Mewtwo chased Mew around, the smaller of the legendary Pokémon hiding behind pillars and dodging each of Mewtwo's Shadow Balls.

" _Why do you hide from me?"_ Mewtwo demanded in frustration, " _Why do you run? Are you afraid to find out which of us is stronger?"_

Mew didn't respond, seemingly content to continue fleeing. Suddenly, one of Mewtwo's attacks connected, sending Mew blasting high into the clouds above the island. There was a moment of silence, before an orb of compressed psychic energy came flying back out of the cloud and slammed into Mewtwo, sending him crashing hard in the middle of the stadium. Mew then followed out of the clouds and gently hovered over the original Pokémon in the stadium.

Mewtwo quickly recovered. He glared at Mew, " _So you do have some fight in you. But I have no time to play games. Destiny is at hand. Who will rule? My group of super Pokémon? Or our group of spineless inferior Pokémon."_

"Mew."

" _We were created with powers far stronger than the originals,"_ Mewtwo said.

"Mew mew, mew mew mew mew mew, mew mew mew," Mew continued in a long tirade to Mewtwo, though only the Pokémon could understand it.

"My clones don't need their powers to prove their worth," Mewtwo replied angrily, launching another Shadow Ball at Mew.

Mew easily dodged, but the Shadow Ball continued and slammed into the roof right where Ash stood watching. He tried to dodge, but was too slow. As it was, he barely managed to grab onto a ledge as the roof collapsed beneath his feet.

Grunting with effort, Ash managed to climb back up to the roof and stood to look out at the stadium once again. It was a scene of horror. All throughout the stadium he could see Pokémon, the originals and the clones, locked in conflict against one another. Venusaur were smashing against one another, Blastoise were trading punches, Nidoqueen grappled with each other, Gyarados were twisted around each other and biting. High above Mew and Mewtwo had formed Barriers around themselves and were smashing against one another. It was mad, senseless.

Down in the stadium everyone watched in horror.

"Pokémon aren't meant to fight," Nurse Joy said, "Not like this. What can come of it?"

"Nothing, but pain," Neesha responded.

"Why can't Mewtwo understand it's not right to force Pokémon to battle this way?" Brock asked.

"They're all living creatures," Misty said in agreement, "this just proves that fighting is wrong."

There were only two Pokémon that were not fighting, and that was the Riolu's. Ash watched as his Riolu grabbed onto his clone as it charged at him, and use his aura to connect to it. Both of the Emanation Pokémon stopped and closed their eyes, letting their aura flow between themselves. The clone Riolu eventually opened his eyes and looked at his original in awe and understanding.

"That's it," Ash said, the proverbial light bulb lighting up, "Aura comes from the soul. If I can use aura to prove to everyone that they are all the same, then they'll stop fighting."

His goal firmly in mind, Ash cupped his hands together and began to gather his aura. It flowed out of his palms and formed into a sphere that slowly grew bigger and bigger. With the aura, Ash channeled as many positive emotions as he could think of: hope, forgiveness, gratitude, joy, compassion, trust, appreciation, love.

The sphere grew larger and more powerful. It fluctuated occasionally, threatening to become unstable, but Ash kept his focus absolute and maintained cohesion. Spikes of pain began shooting through his body, and in the corners of his vision he saw odd crackles of light pass along his arms but he paid no mind. Soon the sphere was as big in diameter as he was tall and Ash felt it was big enough.

With monumental effort, he reared back and _threw_ the ball down at the stadium floor. It rocketed through the air, drawing the attention of several of the waring Pokémon, including Mew and Mewtwo. When it impacted against the stadium floor, it didn't explode like most who watched expected it to, instead it released all of it's pent up energy in a wave that enveloped the entire stadium.

All of the Pokémon gasped as the energy surrounded and penetrated them. They suddenly became filled with hope and joy, love and acceptance. All of the negative emotions they had been feeling were purged and their drive to fight diminished to nothing.

" _What is this?"_ Mewtwo asked, gazing at the energy around him with both shock and fear. He could feel as the emotions filled his body and he gasped as something else, deep in his mind unlocked. Memories, from before he had woken in the tube, before he'd destroyed the laboratory that had created him. " _I...I remember...Amber."_

He felt something prickling in the corners of his eyes and he brought his hand up to rub it. Pulling his hand away, he found small beads of water on them. Tears; he was crying.

" _Don't cry Mewtwo,"_ he remembered Amber saying so long ago, " _You should be happy. You're alive, and life is wonderful!"_ Her last words before she'd faded from existence.

The wave of aura faded, and all the Pokémon found themselves turning to its source.

Ash stood high above them, on the stadium roof from where he'd launched the sphere. His breathing was labored and an odd glow was emanating from his body. Spark's of electricity travelled up and down his form, causing him to grunt with pain. The strength suddenly left his limbs and he fell, plummeting down to the stadium floor a hundred feet below.

"Ash/Riolu!" Brock, Misty and Riolu shouted.

Mewtwo's eyes flashed and a blue aura enveloped Ash, halting his descent before gently lowering him to the ground in the middle of the stadium.

Riolu raced out, coming to a halt next to Ash and looking at him with sad eyes. "Ri?" he asked.

Ash grunted as another wave of pain passed through him. "I guess I over...overdid it huh?" He knew what was going on, he had used too much of his aura, essentially burning out his soul. This was one of the dangers of using aura; if one used too much, he or she ran the risk of killing themselves.

"Riolu!" his starter shouted despairingly at him, grabbing his hand. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Ash smiled at Riolu, "I'm sorry Riolu. But I don't...urgh," he grunted as another wave of pain passed through him, "I don't think I'm going to make it."

"No Ash, don't say that," Misty said. She ran over and knelt next to him, "Don't you dare say that. You'll pull through."

"I don't think I can," Ash grunted out, "I overused my aura, there's no coming back from that." He grunted in pain again; more sparks of electricity passing over his body, which itself was becoming transparent.

"No...Ash," Misty said, tears forming in her eyes. Drops trailed down her face, falling off her chin and hitting the ground.

Ash's eyes closed and his head began to fall back, his body becoming even more transparent and beginning to fade altogether.

"Rio!" Riolu yelled, tears streaming down his face.

All around the field tears were forming in the eyes of the various Pokémon, natural born and clones alike. However, as the tears fell from their faces, they took on a curious sparkle. Instead of hitting the ground, the tears defied gravity and started flying out to the middle of the field. The tears began collecting around Ash, the waters being absorbed into his translucent body.

The fading halted, and suddenly Ash's body began to reform. More tears were absorbed and the transparency faded until he was fully solid. He gasped, breathing in deeply as the aura in his body began to replenish itself. The unnatural glow faded and the sparks stopped appearing.

Ash opened his eyes. Where once they were brown, they were now a brilliant teal color and seemed to have an inner glow; a side effect of using so much of his aura at once.

"What...what happened?" he asked, looking around in confusion.

Misty just choked out a sob and lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "You stupid noble idiot," she cried, pounding her fist against his chest.

"I...how am I still alive?" Ash asked, bewildered.

" _The tears of life."_

Misty pulled back, letting Ash look up at Mewtwo.

"Just like the Dock Manager said," Brock said, walking up, "She said the tears of the Pokémon brought life back to those who'd died in the storm."

"I was brought back by...tears?" Ash asked.

"Ri riolu ri ri riolu ri lu," Riolu said, nodding.

Ash looked at him in surprise.

" _I wish to...thank you...Ash,"_ Mewtwo said, drawing a surprised look from said trainer, " _You sacrificed yourself to save the Pokémon. I pitted them against each other, but not until they set aside their differences did I see the true power they all share inside. I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant, it is what you do with your life that determines who you are."_

Ash smiled at the clone, "I'm glad."

Mewtwo gave him a simple nod before lifting into the air. All around the stadium the clones were enveloped in psychic aura and lifted up and after Mewtwo. Together, Mew, Mewtwo, and all the cloned Pokémon were taken high into the sky.

"Where are you going Mewtwo?" Ash called after him.

" _Where my heart can learn what yours knows so well,"_ Mewtwo replied cryptically, " _What transpired here today I will always remember. But for you perhaps, these events are best...forgotten."_

The stadium below their feet was suddenly lit up by Mewtwo's power. It enveloped everyone until all they saw what white.

* * *

"This could be the worst storm ever," Officer Jenny was saying.

"You must listen to me," Miranda said, "You have got to find shelter."

"Excuse me please!" Nurse Joy came up behind the crowd, her usual nurse's uniform absent in in place of a light pink raincoat. "A Pokémon Center will be open as a shelter. Anyone who needs a place to stay should come with me." She turned and made her way out of the Wharf building followed by several trainers.

Ash blinked as he found himself standing next to Brock and Misty. He looked around in bewilderment, wondering how they'd gotten all the way here from New Island. He looked down at Riolu, and saw the same confused expression on his Starter's face.

"Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy are great," Brock said with a blush on his face, "They just keep getting more beautiful every time I see them."

"How...how did we get here?" Ash asked.

Misty blinked at him, her eyes slightly out of focus as she said, "Oh well...I guess we're just here," And that was that.

Ash shared a glance with Riolu. Mewtwo had made them forget everything that had transpired on New Island, but not him or Riolu. Were they...somehow immune because of their aura?

"Ash, what happened to your eyes?" Misty suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked. His eyes?

Misty pulled out a small mirror from her bag and showed him.

Ash gasped, his eyes were teal, the same color as his aura. He swallowed, his mind racing to come up with a believable story. "Well I ah...it's my aura. Yeah, this happens to all Aura Guardians when they reach a certain level with their powers."

"Really? That's cool," Brock said.

"I have to say, they look neat," Misty said admiringly.

Ash felt felt a little guilty for lying to them, but he knew it would be too hard to explain the truth. "I'm hungry, let's go find something to eat," he said, hoping to distract them.

"Hey look, it's a miracle!" Nurse Joy suddenly shouted.

Ash ran outside and smiled, the storm was clearing up. Brock and Misty followed him and they stood together on the pier.

Movement suddenly caught Ash's eye and he looked up to see Mew vanishing into the clouds. He smiled, the future was bright.

* * *

 **And that's it, Mewtwo Strikes Back is complete with my own little twist. So what do you guys think?**

 **Read/Review**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	13. Chapter 13

"Come on guys, we need to hurry," Ash said urgently, sprinting through Viridian City to the main street.

"What's the rush Ash?" Misty shouted after him.

"We need to get to the center of town for the torch running," Ash explained hurriedly.

"I know you want to see the torch Ash," Brock said, panting with the effort of keeping up with his friend, "But can't you wait until the opening ceremonies?"

"What?" Ash screeched to a halt, turning to his friends with a guilty expression on his face, "Did I forget to mention that Professor Oak signed the three of us up to be torch bearers?"

"WHAT?" Brock and Misty shouted.

"Which is why we need to hurry," Ash rushed out before turning and fleeing.

"Ash Ketchum you get back here right now!" Misty bellowed, racing after him with a large mallet in her hands.

They reached the town center with time to spare, though Ash arrived with a rather large lump on his head. A few minutes after they reached the route, a large tour bus came driving up with a police escort in the form of Officer Jenny on a motorcycle.

Officer Jenny came to a halt and asked, "Is one of you Ash Ketchum?"

"That's me Officer Jenny," Ash said.

"Good, you're right on time," she said, "The official torch run will begin in fifteen minutes. Are you ready for your run?"

Ash had changed into a pair of running shorts and a muscle shirt, which showed off his muscular physique and was tying his brand new running shoes. Riolu stood next to him, performing stretches in preparation to run at his side.

"All set," Ash said.

"Excellent," an elderly man stepped off of the bus. He was very short, even shorter than Ash, with a long white beard and a baseball cap sitting backwards on his head. "Well, you must be the famous Ash Ketchum. Samuel has said many good things about you."

Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "That's me sir," he said, "it's an honor to meet you Mr. Goodshow."

"Who's this Ash?" Misty asked.

Ash turned to her in surprise, "You mean you don't know who Charles Goodshow is? It's not like he's the President of the Pokémon League or anything!"

"You're The Charles Goodshow!" Brock said in amazement, "It's an honor to meet you sir."

"The pleasure is all mine," Mr. Goodshow said good naturedly, every bit the favorite grandpa character he seemed to portrait himself as. He turned to Ash, "Well Ash, are you ready?"

"Yes sir," Ash said.

"Very good. You're friends can ride in the bus with the rest of the torch bearers until it's their turn," Goodshow said, he turned to look at Brock and Misty "Or if you want you can ride on the roof with me. It's much more fun in my opinion."

"That sounds great," Misty said.

"Yeah," Brock agreed.

Officer Jenny outfitted Ash with a white sash that had a Poké ball symbol on it and handed him an empty torch. "All set, now you just need the flame," she said.

"Which I have right there," Goodshow said, producing a small lantern from underneath his beard. He removed the lid and Ash lit the torch with it.

He stared into the flames, "The flame of Moltres," he said in awe.

"Indeed," Goodshow said warmly, "Now then, are we ready?"

"Yes sir," Ash said.

Goodshow climbed up to the top of the bus followed by Brock and Misty.

"Ready Riolu?" Ash asked, looking down at his starter.

"Ri," he responded, hopping from one foot to the next.

"Then let's go," Ash said.

With the torch held high in the air, they took off running down main street. Officer Jenny rode on her motorcycle behind and just to his left, while the bus brought up the rear. On the sides of the street, hundreds of spectators had gathered and were cheering for the torch and waving flags in support. Ash grinned and waved as he ran.

He ran all the way through Viridian City and out along Route 22. By then the crowds had thinned until they were completely gone and there was nothing but the path and open wilderness on both sides. Ash continued running for another mile before it was time to hand the torch off.

The trip down Route 22 was not a long one, about twenty miles which would be completed throughout the day. Around noon it was Misty's turn to take the torch. She ran with Vaporeon trotting at her side and Togepi happily bouncing on her shoulder, trilling all the way. Brock's turn came late in the afternoon, just as they were reaching the Pokémon League Village.

They reached the finish line where Brock handed the torch to President Goodshow, "I present to you the Flame of Moltres," he said formally.

"Thank you," Mr. Goodshow replied, accepting the torch. "I trust I will see you tomorrow in the opening ceremonies?"

"Yes sir," they all replied.

"Jolly good," he said with a wide smile.

* * *

Ash was standing in a group of nearly two hundred Pokémon trainers in the massive Indigo League Stadium. Riolu stood at his side as they waited for the final torch runner.

The runner came trotting into the stadium holding a torch with the Flame of Moltres burning on it. She ran through the trainers and up the stairs to the primary torch. At the top of the stairs, she lifted the torch to the large bowl and the flame transferred. With a flash, the Moltres flame enveloped the torch officially beginning the tournament.

The Pokémon League president walked up to the podium and addressed the crowd and competitors. "Welcome one and all! This Stadium is a very special place, a place where those who truly love Pokémon have come to compete. Here the flame of Moltres burns brightly to light up our hearts and our spirits. Battle valiantly and keep that flame alive, in your hearts and in your spirits!" He finished his speech and the crowd broke into massive cheers.

Ash looked down at his partner, "Well Riolu, we're finally here."

"Ri."

* * *

"Welcome to Pokémon Village," said the attendant, "I'm going to need your id to check you in."

Ash handed her his Pokédex.

"Is this your first time competing in the League?" she asked as she plugged it in and started typing.

"Yes Ma'am," Ash replied.

"All right, you're all set," she said, handing his Pokédex back, "Your first match is on the Water Field at 1:00 against Mandi. Good Luck."

"Thank you," Ash said.

He turned and left the building to see Brock and Misty waiting for him.

"I'm on the Water field at 1:00," he told them.

"Great," Brock said, "you've got two hours to get ready."

"Will you be using Wartortle?" Misty asked.

"I'll have at least him on my team," Ash said, "I'll do some research on my opponent before choosing my final team. I don't want to accidentally make it an easy match."

"You mean easy for me," a voice said.

Ash looked up to see a person with long green hair tied back with a red bandana.

"I am the astounding Mandi, your next opponent," he introduced.

"Ash," he said, holding his hand out to Mandi.

Mandi seemed to grasp his hand before brushing away and making a Poké ball appear in his hand. "I'm sorry, my hands are for Poké balls, not for people," he said snidely.

Misty gave a growl, "you could at least shake before your Pokémon match," she said.

"An unfortunate choice of words," he said, "for your friend is no match for me. Lovely meeting you." He walked away.

"He's charming," Misty said, making a face at his retreating back.

"He just talked himself into the toughest match he'll ever have," Ash said.

* * *

Ash sat in the Locker room, focusing his aura and attempting to calm his raging heart. Riolu put a paw on his leg and sent soothing waves into him. Ash felt himself relax a little and he smiled at him, "thanks buddy."

"Ri, riolu ri," he said.

"Ash Ketchum?" a voice said from the door. Ash looked up to see a man standing there with a clipboard. "Your up," he said.

"Right, thanks," Ash said as he made his way out to the field. He climbed up to the battle box for the green side and observed the field. It was a massive pool with several floating platforms scattered around it.

"AND NOW BEGINS THE THIRD MATCH ON THE WATER FIELD!" the MC announced, "ON THE GREEN SIDE IS NEWCOMER ASH KETCHUM OF PALLET, ON THE RED SIDE A POKÉMON LEAGUE FAVORITE, THE ASTOUNDING MANDI! EACH TRAINER IS ALLOWED ONLY THREE POKÉMON, NOW LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"

"It's show time, now Ash, watch me work my magic," Mandi said as a Poké ball appeared in his hand and he tossed it to the field. "Go Exeggutor!"

"Wartortle, to the battlefront!" Ash called throwing his own Poké ball.

With dual flashes of light, the Coconut Pokémon and the Turtle Pokémon appeared on a platform on the field.

Ash took a deep breath as he tuned out the MC's incessant chatter. Keeping one eye on the battlefield, Ash looked at the judge, waiting for him to start the match.

"This is a three on three Pokémon battle," he said, "the winner shall be declared when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed, let the battle begin!"

Mandi went first, "Exeggutor, use Psywave!"

Exeggutor fired a wave of Psychic energy at Wartortle.

"Dodge it and use Water Pulse!" Ash ordered.

Wartortle leapt into the water just as the Psywave blew past it. He surfaced a moment later and fired an orb of compressed water The attack crashed into Exeggutor and pushed it to the edge of the platform.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat me," Mandi said, "Exeggutor, use Psychic!"

Exeggutor's eyes started glowing and the water around Wartortle started spinning around in a powerful whirlpool. Wartortle was washed away by the water and started spinning around the pool.

"Now, use Egg Bomb!" Mandi ordered.

"Withdraw!" Ash shouted.

The Coconut Pokémon started firing glowing white eggs from the top of its heads. They began raining down around Wartortle, exploding as they hit the water.

"Wartortle, use your Whirlpool attack to counter!" Ash yelled.

Wartortle started glowing blue as he took control of the water around him. The spinning water slowed until it started moving the other direction. Wartortle calmly swam out of the whirling water before sending it at Exeggutor.

"Exeggutor!" the Pokémon shouted as the whirlpool started whirling around the platform it stood on and causing it to rock back and forth.

"Now use Ice Beam!" Ash ordered. Wartortle quickly fired a powerful beam of freezing energy at Exeggutor, encasing it in a sheet of ice.

"Now, time to finish this with Skull Bash!" Ash said.

Wartortle leapt out of the water as a white glow encased his body. He rocketed over the water and crashed headfirst into Exeggutor, freeing it from the ice and sending it smashing into the stadium walls.

"Exeggutor is unable to battle, Wartortle wins!" the judge announced.

"AND MANDI'S EXEGGUTOR GOES DOWN!" the announcer said, "NOW HE ONLY HAS TWO REMAINING POKÉMON TO COMBAT ASH'S THREE."

"Hah, merely beginners luck," Mandi commented as he returned his Exeggutor and switched out his Poké balls. "But it's now run out, go Kingdra!" he threw his Poké ball and released a massive sea dragon to the field.

"AND MANDI HAS CHOSEN HIS KINGDRA, WILL ASH STICK WITH WARTORTLE OR SWITCH TO ANOTHER POKÉMON?"

Ash smirked, "Wartortle return!" Wartortle was recalled to his Poké ball and Ash switched out another Poké ball on his belt.

Throwing it to the field, he shouted "Dragonair, to the battlefront!"

With a flash of light, and an earth-shaking roar of challenge, Ash's Dragonair appeared on the field.

"AND ASH HAS CHOSEN HIS DRAGONAIR, IT'S A BATTLE OF THE DRAGONS. WHO WILL WIN?"

"The answer is me," Mandi said, "Kingdra, use your agility!"

Kingdra took off, speeding across the field as it's speed increased.

"Dragonair, Dragon Dance!" Ash shouted.

A wave of purple energy surged through Dragonair as it waived its body around in a hypnotic motion.

"Now use Dragon Breath!" Ash commanded.

With her increased speed, Dragonair whipped around towards Kingdra and fired a beam of green dragon fire at it. It impacted against the Dragon Pokémon's side, causing it to scream in pain.

"No Kingdra!" Mandi said. "Quick, use Ice Beam!"

Kingdra fought through the pain and fired a beam of ice energy at Dragonair.

"Flamethrower!" Ash snapped.

"What?" Mandi asked in surprise.

Dragonair ceased his Dragon Breath and launched a burst of flame at the Ice Beam, melting it.

"Now use Dragon Tail" Ash ordered.

Dragonair surged out of the water as it's tail took on a teal hue. With a mighty spin he whirled around and slammed his tail into Kingdra's side, sending it flying away to crash into the stadium wall. It slumped, floating belly up in the water.

"Kingdra is unable to battle, Dragonair wins," the judge announced.

"NOW THE ASTOUNDING MANDI IS JUST ONE POKÉMON AWAY FROM DEFEAT, CAN HE STAGE A MAGICAL COME BACK?"

"The answer is he can and he will," Mandi said as he drew his last Poké ball. "And now Pokémon fans, may I present Crobat, go!"

"Dragonair, return!" Ash recalled Dragonair and put the Poké ball back on his belt. He then tossed another Poké ball to the field, "Jolteon to the battlefront!"

The ball burst open, releasing Jolteon to stand on one of the platforms.

"MANDI HAS CHOSEN HIS CROBAT, AND ASH HAS DECIDED TO SUBSTITUTE FOR HIS JOLTEON. THE YOUNG TRAINER FROM PALLET HAS THE OBVIOUS ADVANTAGE HERE BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO DEFEAT MANDI?"

"Not a chance," Mandi said, "Crobat, use Razor Wind!"

Crobat started flapping its wings and launched a wave of white blades of energy at Jolteon.

"Use Agility to dodge!" Ash said.

Jolteon leapt out of the way as his agility activated. He vanished and reappeared in bursts of speed all over the field.

"Now use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

Electricity surged around Jolteon's body and erupted in a concentrated bolt straight at Crobat. It impacted against the Bat Pokémon, causing it to cry out in pain.

"Quickly Crobat, use Poison Fang," Mandi ordered.

Crobat burst away from the Thunderbolt and beared down on Jolteon, biting into his shoulder with poison covered fangs.

"Joolt!" he cried out in pain.

"Quick Pin Missile," Ash ordered.

Jolteon's body erupted with projectiles that blasted Crobat away with a screech of pain.

"Now use Thunder!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon launched an even more powerful bolt of electricity. It slammed into Crobat and electrocuted it. Crobat screamed in pain as the super effective attack damaged it. It quickly became too much and Crobat fell to crash onto one of the platforms, unconscious.

"Crobat is unable to battle, Jolteon wins," the judge announced, "Ash is the victor!"

The crowd burst into applause as the MC started shouting.

"A STUNNING VICTORY FOR POKÉMON LEAGUE ROOKIE ASH KETCHUM. HE BEAT THE ASTOUNDING MANDI'S ENTIRE TEAM WITHOUT LOSING A SINGLE POKÉMON."

"All right Jolteon, great job!" Ash said happily. Jolteon leapt back to Ash's side, where he knelt down to pet him. "You did awesome, I'll give you a massage for that shoulder later."

"Jolt," he said gratefully as Ash returned him.

* * *

Later that night Ash sat in the Trainer's cabin with Brock and Misty. He was giving Jolteon his promised massage while Misty did the same for Vaporeon and Brock was making a new batch of Pokémon food in the kitchen.

"You did great in your match today," Misty said.

"Yeah," Ash agreed, "but I can't get too confident. I think Mandi underestimated me, or he was just cocky."

"The latter I think," Misty said with a smile.

Ash smiled back at her, "Either way, it's going to be harder from here on out."

"You'll do great," Misty said confidently.

"Thanks Mist," Ash said warmly.

* * *

Ash stood in the trainer's box above the Rock Field. His opponent, Mark Richards, stood opposite him with a Pokeball in hand.

"AND HERE WE ARE WITH THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE DAY ON THE ROCK FIELD," the MC said, "THE OPPONENTS ARE NEWCOMER AND NEW FAN FAVORITE, ASH KETCHUM ON THE GREEN SIDE. AND MARK RICHARDS ON THE RED SIDE. TRAINERS, RELEASE YOUR POKÉMON!"

"Scyther, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted.

"Go, Ninetails!" Mark shouted.

Both Pokémon appeared on their respective sides of the field.

The judge stepped up to the field. "This is a three on three Pokémon battle," he said, "the winner shall be declared when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed, let the battle begin!"

"Go Ninetails, use Flamethrower!" Mark ordered.

"Nine!" the Pokémon yelled, it took a deep breath and launched a wave of flames down the field at Scyther.

"Use Agility to dodge!" Ash yelled

Moving at impossible speeds, Scyther sped out of the way of the Flamethrower attack. "Now Slash!"

Scyther appeared at Ninetails' side and slashed with his blade, drawing a cry of pain from the fire type.

"Quick Fire Spin!" Mark shouted.

Ninetails whirled around and unleashed a gout of spiraling flames that enveloped Scyther. He cried out in pain from the super effective attack and was blasted back.

"Use Vacuum Wave," Ash called.

Scyther launched the attack; the blade of fighting energy sliced straight through the Fire Spin, dispelling it, and impacted against Ninetails' side. "Nine!" it cried out.

"Ninetails!" Mark shouted. He grinned when Ninetails got back to it's feet, "Quick Attack!"

Ninetails moved in a burst of speed, slamming hard into Scyther's side.

"Scy!" he cried out.

"Quick use X-Scissor," Ash ordered.

Scyther crossed his arms and formed an x-shaped energy bolt that he slammed hard into Ninetails.

"Now use Wing Attack!" Ash ordered.

Scyther's wings started glowing and he flew at Ninetails, slashing with his wings as he passed.

"Nine!" it cried out before collapsing in a faint.

"Ninetails is unable to battle," the judge announced after examining it, "Scyther wins!"

Mark returned his Ninetails, murmuring a few words of comfort. He then switched Poké balls and threw it out, "Go Snorlax!"

Ash sized up the large Pokémon before returning Scyther. "I'll need a heavy hitter for this one," he said to the Poké ball, "next time buddy." He switched out Poké balls and threw his next out to the field "Pidgeot, to the battlefront!"

"Snorlax use Ice Punch!" Mark shouted without delay.

"Snorlax snor," his Pokémon said as it lumbered towards Pidgeot. It moved much faster than either Ash or Pidgeot expected, and before they knew it it had nailed her in the side.

"Pidgeooo!" she cried out in pain.

"Quick Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace," Ash ordered.

"Pidgeot!" she cried out, taking to the air and launching into the attack. She slammed hard into Snorlax, causing it to stumble back a step.

"Snorlax, use Ice Punch again!" Mark ordered.

Snorlax lashed out, nailing Pidgeot in the chest and sending her tumbling back with another cry of pain.

"Let's heat things up a bit, use Heat Wave," Ash ordered.

Pidgeot righted herself and flapped her wings, unleashing a wave of embers that slammed hard into Snorlax.

"Lax," he said in pain.

"Now use Hurricane," Ash commanded.

Pidgeot's wings glowed blue and she flapped them hard, unleashing a powerful gale force wind that slammed hard into Snorlax. The Sleeping Pokémon leaned heavily into the wind, struggling against its force.

"Now let's finish this Snorlax," Mark called, "Use Hyper Beam!

"Giga Impact," Ash ordered.

Pidgeot ended the Hurricane and flew straight at Snorlax, a spiraling purple and gold aura enveloping her as she moved. Simultaneously, Snorlax opened his mouth and began charging a pink orb of energy before it.

Snorlax fired just as Pidgeot reached it, their attack's met with a monumental explosion that shook the field and enveloped the stadium in smoke.

Coughing Ash called out, "Pidgeot are you alright?"

There was no response.

Soon the smoke cleared to reveal Pidgeot lying unconscious in front of a tired but ready Snorlax.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle, Snorlax wins!" the judge announced.

"Return Pidgeot," Ash said, "You did great. Thank you." He switched out Poké balls and said, "Dragonair, to the battlefront!" The Poké ball soared out over the field and burst open to release Dragonair.

"Snorlax, use Ice Punch," Mark shouted.

Snorlax rushed down the field, his fist clenched and glowing with freezing energy.

"Dragon Tail," Ash ordered.

Dragonair whirled around and slammed Snorlax with a glowing tail, sending it flying back several feet.

"Now finish it with Dragon Breath!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair launched the attack and it impacted against Snorlax with an explosion, sending it straight into unconsciousness.

"Snorlax is unable to battle, Dragonair wins," the judge announced.

"Return, Go Nidoking!" Mark ordered, throwing out his third Poké ball.

"Dragon Breath," Ash ordered.

Again Dragonair launched a stream of green flames that slammed painfully into Nidoking.

"Nidoking, use Earth Power!" Mark ordered.

Nidoking slammed a fist into the ground, causing large cracks to form in the field that erupted with molten earth.

"Protect!" Ash ordered.

A green bubbled formed all around Dragonair as the Earth Power hit, negating the attack entirely. "Now use Iron Tail!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair launched himself at Nidoking, flipping around and slamming into it with a silvery glowing tail. It impacted against Nidoking, sending if flying back to crash into the stadium wall.

"Now finish it with Dragon Rush!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair flew at Nidoking as a teal aura enveloped him, shaping into a draconic figure. He slammed into Nidoking with an explosion, covering the field with smoke.

When it cleared, Nidoking was revealed to be unconscious.

"Nidoking is unable to battle, Dragonair wins," the judge announced, "Ash of Pallet Town is the victor!"

"AND THAT'S IT, IT'S ALL OVER. ASH HAS WON IN A LANDSLIDE VICTORY AND HE WILL BE MOVING ON TO THE THIRD ROUND."

As Ash left the stadium, he met Brock and Misty.

"That was a great battle Ash," Brock said.

"Yeah, you did really well," Misty said.

"Thanks," Ash said gratefully, "I should get Pidgeot to the Pokémon Center. See you guys later."

Once Nurse Joy had taken his Pokéballs, Ash sat in the waiting area and started flicking through the Pokémon Gazette.

He started slightly as someone sat right next to him; turning he saw it was a girl. She wore a light blue blouse and long black pants with high heels. Hanging from her long blond hair were four baubles, two on each side, that looked oddly similar to the appendages hanging from a Lucario's head. She appeared to be about twelve or thirteen, only two years older than him at eleven, and she was staring at him with startling silvery grey eyes.

"I saw you in the match today," she said without preamble, "your Dragonair looked strong."

"Um thanks…I think," he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we're are my manners," she said, "I'm Cynthia Shirona, from Celestic Town in Sinnoh."

"Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town," Ash said, "Sinnoh's a long way away, are you here to compete?"

"I am," she nodded, "will this be your first league?"

"Yeah, I just started my journey about a year ago," Ash said, "I'm aiming to be a Pokémon Master."

"Me too," she said, "This will be my second league, if I win I'm hoping to challenge the Sinnoh League again and get a shot at the Elite Four."

"Well good luck," Ash said, "but you'll have to beat me first."

She laughed, "I look forwards to it. Is that Riolu yours?"

Ash grinned and rubbed Riolu between his ears, "Yep, Riolu here is my best pal."

The continued chatting until Cynthia had to leave for her match.

"Good luck, I'll be watching," Ash said as they made their way to the grass field.

At the entrance, Brock and Misty came running up to him.

"Ash, we've been looking everywhere for you," Brock said, "Your next match starts in fifteen minutes."

"What!" Ash said shocked. He'd completely forgotten to check for his own match. He turned to Cynthia, "I'm sorry but I've got to go, I'll be sure to watch your next match."

She laughed, "I'll hold you to it," she said.

As Ash ran to the Ice Field, Misty fell into step with him. "So who was that Ash?" she asked, "And how did you forget your own match? That's so not like you."

"Her name is Cynthia," Ash responded, "I met her in the Pokémon Center. We started chatting and I forgot to look at my own match."

They reached the stadium and Ash entered to the Locker rooms while Brock and Misty went to the stands.

As Ash stepped into the battle box, the MC started his announcements.

"AND HERE WE ARE WITH THE SECOND THIRD ROUND MATCH OF THE DAY ON THE ICE FIELD. ON THE GREEN SIDE WE HAVE PETE PEBBLEMAN FROM PEWTER CITY AGAINST ASH KETCHUM OF PALLET TOWN."

"Go Kabutops!" Pete shouted, tossing his Pokéball to the field. With a flash of light, the Shellfish Pokémon appeared on the field.

"Haunter, to the battlefront!" Ash said, throwing his Poké ball. Haunter appeared laughing evilly as he stared down the fossil Pokémon.

"PEBBLEMAN HAS RELEASE A FOSSIL POKÉMON, KABUTOPS, WHEREAS KETCHUM HAS DECIDED TO WORK WITH THE GHOST TYPE HAUNTER, AT THE MOMENT IT IS ANYONE'S MATCH, WHO WILL WIN?"

The judge stepped up to the field. "This is a three on three Pokémon battle," he said, "the winner shall be declared when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed, let the battle begin!"

"Kabutops, use Aqua Jet!" Pete ordered at once.

Kabutops became enveloped in water and it rocketed down the field at Haunter.

"Dodge it and use Shadow Ball!" Ash yelled. Haunter nimbly floated out of the way of the attack. Spinning around, he charged a ball of shadow energy and launched it at Kabutops. It exploded against the fossil Pokémon's side and blasted it against a nearby ice pillar.

"Kabutops!" Pete shouted in worry. Kabutops leapt back to its feet, ready to battle. "Great Job Kabutops, now use Night Slash!"

Kabutops' scythes began glowing with a dark aura and he raced across the ice at Haunter.

"Dark Pulse" Ash ordered.

Haunter created an orb of dark fighting energy between his hands and fired it, unleashing a stream of dark gyrating rings at Kabutops. Kabutops nimbly sidestepped, letting the Dark Pulse fly past him and continue at Haunter. It slashed at the Gas Pokémon and blasted him back. Stunned by the attack, Haunter crashed into a nearby ice pillar.

"Quick Haunter, get up and use Energy Ball!" Ash shouted.

His eyes snapping open, Haunter floated back into the air and charged a glowing orb of green energy, launching it at Kabutops.

"Dodge it!" Pete shouted.

Kabutops leapt to the side, nimbly dodging the grass type attack.

"Thunderbolt," Ash shouted.

Electricity covered Haunter as he launched the electric attack at Kabutops. It hit and Kabutops screeched in pain as the electricity coursed through its body.

"Now, finish this with Energy Ball," Ash ordered.

Haunter quickly charged and fired an Energy Ball at Kabutops. It impacted and exploded against the Pokémon side, knocking it out.

"Kabutops is unable to battle, Haunter wins," the judge announced.

"AND KABUTOPS GOES DOWN, IT SEEMS ALL OF ASH'S POKEMON ARE TOP NOTCH BATTLERS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?"

"Kabutops, return," Pete said, returning his fallen Pokémon. He switched Pokémon and threw it to the field, "Cloister, I choose you!" The Bivalve Pokémon appeared on the field.

"Alright Haunter, we'll take the first move, use Shadow Ball!" Ash ordered.

Haunter quickly charged up a Shadow Ball and launched it at Cloister."

"Cloister, use Withdraw!" Pete ordered.

Cloister's shell clamped shut and Haunter's attack impacted against it. Receiving little damage, Cloister popped back from his shell.

"Now use Water Gun!" Pete shouted.

Cloister quickly fired a jet of water at Haunter. The Ghost/Poison type easily dodged the attack without prompt.

"Get in close and use Hypnosis," Ash ordered.

Haunter flew straight down and phased straight through the ice. The stadium was silent as they waited for Haunter to reappear.

Cloister suddenly let out a shout of surprise, as Haunter became visible right in front of it and attacked.

"Ah, Cloister quick use Withdraw!" Pete shouted. But he was too late; the Bivalve Pokémon had already fallen asleep from Haunter's attack.

"Great job Haunter, now use Dream Eater!" Ash ordered.

Haunter's eyes flashed and a shadow of himself erupted from his body and flew straight through Cloister. The Ice/Water Type yelled in pain as its energy was absorbed before fainting.

"Cloister is unable to battle, Haunter wins!" the judge announced.

"AND KETCHUM WINS AGAIN! WITH ONLY ONE POKEMON LEFT, WILL PEBBLEMAN CHOOSES A WATER TYPE OR AN ICE TYPE?"

"Cloister return, go Arcanine," Pete shouted releasing the Legendary Pokémon to the field. His Arcanine appeared on top of one of the ice pillars, ready to battle.

"AND A BIG SURPRISE AS PEBBLEMAN CHOOSES A FIRE TYPE. BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO DEFEAT ASH'S HAUNTER?"

"Interesting," Ash said, observing the fire type. He pulled out Haunter's Poké ball, "Return! Take a good rest Haunter, you've earned it. Wartortle, to the battlefront!"

"AND ASH DECIDES TO SWITCH OUT FOR A WATER TYPE."

"Ok Arcanine, show them your Dragon Rage attack!" Pete ordered.

Arcanine let out a howl before launching an orange ball of dragon energy at Wartortle.

"Use Protect," Ash ordered.

Instantly, a green shield formed around Wartortle and the Dragon Rage impacted against it, doing no damage.

"Now use Water Pulse," Ash shouted.

Wartortle quickly charged the attack and fired it at Arcanine. The Fire Type leapt out of the way of the attack and jumped across the field, surprisingly agile for a fire type on ice.

"Good job Arcanine, now use Fire Blast!" Pete ordered.

Arcanine opened his mouth and launched a star shaped burst of fire at Wartortle.

"Counter it with Hydro Pump!" Ash ordered.

Wartortle launched a massive gout of water at the Fire Blast. It impacted against the fire attack and cut straight through it, hitting Arcanine in the chest.

"Aaarr!" it cried out as the super effective attack hit.

"Skull Bash!" Ash ordered.

Wartortle soared through the air with a white aura of energy centering at the top of his head. He impacted against Arcanine and sent it crashing into a nearby ice pillar.

As the smoke cleared, Arcanine was revealed buried under a pile of ice.

"Now use Water Pulse!" Ash ordered.

An orb of compressed water energy formed between Wartortle's hands and he launched it at the trapped Arcanine. It impacted and exploded, recovering the field in running water.

As it cleared, Arcanine was revealed fully unconscious.

"Arcanine us unable to battle, Wartortle wins," the judge announced, "The victor is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town"

"AND HE'S DONE IT, ASH HAS DEFEATED ALL THREE OF PETE PEBBLEMAN'S POKÉMON ONCE AGAIN NOT LOSING A SINGLE MEMBER OF HIS TEAM."

The crowd roared its approval as Ash returned his Wartortle. "You did great buddy, thanks."

* * *

 **I know a lot of people are disappointed that I didn't have Ash capture Mewtwo. My reasoning is twofold. First, is that Mewtwo needs to take care of all of the Pokémon clones. Second, I don't want to give Ash any legendaries just yet. He will eventually and I think I may have Mewtwo join him or something during the Mt. Queena incident...maybe, we'll see.**

 **Anyway, the Pokémon League has begun, and Cynthia has finally made her appearance. Yay!**

 **Don't forget to leave your comments.**

 **Until next week folks,**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	14. Chapter 14

The next day, as promised, Ash stood in the stands as Cynthia battled in her final match. Ironically it was against Gary, as they battled it out on the Rock Field.

"Gary is certainly a powerful trainer," Misty commented as she watched the field.

"But Cynthia is just as good," Brock said.

"NOW GARY AND CYNTHIA ARE DOWN TO JUST ONE POKÉMON EACH, WHOEVER WINS THIS BATTLE WINS THE MATCH!"

Down on the battlefield, Gary's Nidoking stood squared off against Cynthia's Gabite. Both powerful Ground Types growled at each other as they awaited their trainer's orders.

"Nidoking, use Mega Horn Attack!" Gary ordered.

The Drill Pokémon let out a roar as it charged down the field at Gabite.

"Use Dragon Rush," Cynthia said.

Gabite leapt into the air and flew down the field as a teal colored aura in the shape of a dragon enveloped it. The two Pokémon crashed into each other in the center of the field, and the two fought for dominance over the other. After a moment, the two conflicting energies reacted and exploded, shrouding the field in smoke.

Suddenly, Gabite flew out of the smoke and hovered over the field. As the smoke cleared away, Nidoking was revealed lying on the ground with smoke flowing from his body in wispy curls.

"Nidoking is unable to battle, Gabite wins," the judge announced, "the victory goes to Cynthia Shirona of Celestic Town!"

"AND SHE'S DONE IT, CYNTHIA HAS WON OVER GARY OAK FOR HER FOURTH ROUND VICTORY!"

Ash let out a sigh. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he was glad it was over. He quickly ran out of the stadium and met Gary as he left. His cheerleaders were crying in the back of his red car and Gary himself looked like a kicked puppy.

"Gary!" he shouted as he ream up to his rival.

"Hmm? Oh, hey Ashy-boy," he said, his cocky attitude quickly coming to the fore, "She was just lucky I was distracted by the girls cheering for me."

Ash just stared at him.

"They're just upset that I lost," he said, referring to the girls crying in his car, "But they'll get over it, won't you girls?" They started crying harder.

Gary leapt into the front seat, "Later Ash," he said as he drove away. Ash watched him go until the car was out of sight.

"Friend of yours?" a voice asked.

Ash turned to see Cynthia standing behind him. He smiled, "We were friends when we were little, but now he's a cocky jerk. I'm hoping that this loss will teach him a lesson. You did really good by the way."

"Thank you," she said, smiling, "Cocky or not, he's a good trainer. Is he related to Pallet Town's Professor Samuel Oak?"

Ash nodded, "His grandson."

"Really? Does that mean that you know the Professor too?" she asked, interested.

"Yep, I'm a field researcher for Professor Oak," Ash said, he rubbed Riolu between the ears, "He gave me Riolu too."

"Impressive," Cynthia said, "My grandmother is a researcher as well, though she studies Sinnoh history."

"Really?" Ash asked, "And what about you?"

Cynthia smiled, "I have an interest in history as well, but my preference are myths and legends."

"Legendary Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"Among other things," she replied.

"Cool, listen my match starts in a few minutes, so I've got to run," Ash said, "Will you be watching?"

"Sure, I'd hate for the chance to observe an opponent to slip by me," she said, giving him a playful smirk.

"Opponent huh?" Ash asked, returning the smile, "well I'll try not to disappoint." He ran off to the Grass Field to get ready for his match.

* * *

Ash stood in the battle box above the Grass Battlefield. His opponent had yet to show up and he fingered Ivysaur's Pokéball in annoyance. This would be the perfect field for the Grass Type to shine, but his opponent would be expecting that. Perhaps something different. Nah, he was confident in Ivysaur's abilities.

Suddenly, a massive red carpet rolled out of the entrance on the other side of the field. A young woman slowly walked out to the field with her eyes closed. She had long purple hair and was wearing large red robes. Walking behind her was a man throwing flower petals around her.

When she finally stepped up to her battle box, she finally opened her eyes and said, "I am honoured."

The next moment, a massive cheering squad that took up about an eighth of the stadium seating erupted with cheers.

Ash was incredulous.

"WE ARE GATHERED HERE IN THE GRASS STADIUM FOR THE THIRD FOURTH ROUND MATCH OF THE INDIGO LEAGUE. ON THE RED SIDE IS JEANETTE FISHER OF CRIMSON CITY. ON THE GREEN SIDE IS PALLET TOWN'S ASH KETCHUM."

The judge stepped up to the field. "This is a three on three Pokémon battle," he said, "the winner shall be declared when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed, let the battle begin!"

"My Pokémon should create quite a buzz," Jeanette said, "Beedrill Go!"

She launched her Pokéball to the field and released a Beedrill. It flew around before landing right in front of Jeanette.

Ash threw his own Pokéball, "Ivysaur, to the battlefront!"

"AND IT'S BEEDRILL VS. IVYSAUR. JEANETTE HAS THE CLEAR ADVANTAGE IN THIS BATTLE"

"Indeed I do, Beedrill use Poison Jab!" Jeanette ordered.

Beedrill flew down the field as its stinger became enveloped in poison.

"Sunny Day," Ash ordered.

Ivysaur launched an orange bolt of energy into the sky, just as Beedrill slammed its stinger into his side. He grunted in pain even as the sun grew brighter.

"Use Twineedle!" Jeanette

Again Beedrill attacked, stabbing Ivysaur twice with its stingers.

"Solar Beam!" Ash ordered.

Jeanette gasped, "Beedrill get out of there!"

Ivysaur, taking advantage of the bright sun, instantly fired a beam of pure solar energy. It impacted against Beedrill with an explosion, sending if crashing into a nearby wall. It slumped down and didn't move.

"Beedrill is unable to battle, Ivysaur wins!"

Jeanette silently recalled her Pokémon. She quickly changed Pokéballs, "This one won't be so easy, go Scyther!"

"Poison Powder," Ash shouted in response.

Ivysaur expelled a cloud of purple spores. It quickly enveloped Scyther, causing it to cough and cry out as it was poisoned.

"That won't stop us," Jeannette said, "Scyther use your Slash attack."

Scyther quickly rushed at Ivysaur, slashing hard down on him.

"Saur!" He cried out in pain.

"Energy Ball!" Ash ordered.

Ivysaur quickly formed a ball of green grass energy and fired it at Scyther. It impacted against the bug type with an explosion and sent it flying across the field.

"Now quickly use Synthesis," Ash ordered.

"Ivy ivysaur," he replied. A golden glow enveloped him as he absorbed solar energy and healed himself.

"X-scissor!" Jeannette shouted.

Scyther rushed at Ivysaur with the attack, impacting him powerfully.

"Saur!" He cried out.

"Solar Beam," Ash ordered.

"That won't work this time, Double Team!" Jeannette said with a laugh.

"Scyther!" It said as three copies of itself appeared.

Ivysaur looked around in confusion, the Solar Beam charged and waiting in his flower bud.

Ash closed his eyes and extended his aura. "On the left," he ordered.

Ivysaur aimed and fired instantly. The attack rushed across the field and slammed into the real Scyther with an explosion.

"Scyther no!" Jeannette cried out.

"Scyther is unable to battle, Ivysaur wins."

Again, Jeannette silently returned her Pokémon. "Go, Bellsprout!" she threw her Pokéball and released her last Pokémon.

Ash blinked as he looked at the Flower Pokémon before him.

' _Why on earth would she use a Bellsprout?'_ he thought in insert adjective here

High in the sky, the sun returned to its usual intensity as the Sunny Day faded.

"Let's start out strong Ivysaur, use Leaf Storm!" Ash ordered.

"Saur," he replied and launched a huge cyclone of glowing leaves straight at Bellsprout.

"Dodge it," Jeannette ordered.

Moving faster than Ash would have believed; Bellsprout wove, ducked, and dodged around every single leaf in the storm.

"Wow," Ash said to himself, reluctantly impressed. "Ivysaur, let's try a Sludge Bomb attack."

"Dodge," Jeanette said again.

Ivysaur fired a volley of sludge bombs at Bellsprout, which it easily dodged once again.

"Well then," Ash said, "If we can't beat it with offence, then let's see if we can beat it with defence. Use Growth."

"Ivy," he said, and a green aura enveloped him, increasing his attacking power.

"Bellsprout, use Slam," Jeanette ordered.

Bellsprout raced down at Ivysaur. Faster than he or Ash could respond, Bellsprout gripped Ivysaur's front legs and flung him over itself, slamming him into the ground.

"Saur!" he cried out painfully.

"Vine Whip!" Ash ordered.

Ivysaur quickly got to his feet and extended out two vines, whipping them at Bellsprout. Yet again, Bellsprout nimbly dodged around the attack.

"Slam again!" Jeanette ordered.

Bellsprout once again flipped Ivysaur into the air and slammed him down into the ground, causing him to cry out.

"Use Magical Leaf!" Ash ordered.

Ivysaur grinned, he fired a barrage of glowing leaves at Bellsprout. It tried to dodge, but the leaves merely circled around and slammed into Bellsprout from behind.

"Sprout!" it cried in pain and surprise.

"But how?" Jeanette asked in shock.

Ash grinned at her, "Haven't you heard? Magical Leaf can't be dodged. Use Double Edge Ivysaur!"

"Saur saur saur saur," Ivysaur chanted as he rushed at Bellsprout with a golden aura around his body. Bellsprout, still stunned from the Magical Leaf, had not time to dodge before Ivysaur crashed into it with an explosion.

The smoke soon cleared to reveal Bellsprout unconscious.

"Bellsprout is unable to battle, Ivysaur wins," the judge announced, "the fourth round victor is Ash of Pallet Town!"

"AND THAT'S IT, ASH WAS WON ALL FOUR OF HIS PRELIMINARY MATCHES AND WILL BE MOVING ONTO THE VICTORY TOURNAMENT IN INDIGO STADIUM."

Ash smiled as he returned Ivysaur and made his way back to the locker room. As he walked in, he found the last people he was expecting. Not only were Brock and Misty there, but so were, "Mom, Sam, when did you get here?" he asked in surprise.

"We came to cheer you to victory," Sam said.

Delia came up and hugged him, "Oh, I'm so proud of you," she said with tears in her eyes, "Out there, battling. And these clothes, you remind me of your father."

Ash sucked in his breath. _'Mom never talks about dad,'_ he thought. Ash silently hugged his mom back. When Delia pulled back she finally got a good look at his eyes and gasped. "Oh Ash, what did you do?"

"What...what do you mean?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"What do I mean?" Delia shrieked, "I mean you nearly killing yourself with your aura! That's what!"

"Kill himself?" Misty repeated, "Ash what is she talking about?"

Ash stared at his mom in shock, "You know about aura?" he asked.

"Of course I do," she said, "Your father...your father was a powerful Aura Guardian. He..." she burst into tears once again, like she always did when Ash's father was mentioned.

Ash immediately hugged her again, and she clung to him. "I...I don't want to lose you...not like I lost...him," she sobbed.

Ash swallowed, his worst fears having been confirmed. He'd always assumed that his father was dead, but to have it actually confirmed like this was a blow.

"You won't mom," he promised.

"But you nearly did," she wailed, "I know what those eyes mean. You nearly overused your aura. You nearly killed yourself doing some foolhardy thing to save a bunch of people and Pokémon."

Ash grimaced, she'd hit the nail on the head.

"Ash never did something like that," Brock said.

Ash sighed, "Yes I did. You were both there, but Mewtwo erased your memories."

"What? Who's Mewtwo?" Misty asked.

Ash didn't respond, instead he reached into his backpack and pulled out a large crystalline looking flower.

"A time flower," someone gasped.

Everyone turned in surprise to see Cynthia standing in the doorway to the locker room. She blushed lightly from the stares, "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I was just hoping to congratulate Ash on his win."

"It's okay, you can come in," Ash said, "perhaps you can explain to them what a Time Flower is." Ash himself only knew because of all the research he did on Aura Guardians while working for Professor Oak. He had found the Aura Guardian's fascinating, not only because of their abilities but their ideals. Their one constant was the fight for peace between people and Pokémon, and the protection of the world from the forces of evil. All the while, he had never even dreamed that he would become one himself.

"Time Flowers are holographic records of important events were aura was used," Cynthia explained, fully entering the room and closing the door. "They hold a true record of what happened, and cannot be altered. They also can't be activated by any but those who possess the ability to manipulate aura."

"Exactly," Ash said. He channeled a tiny amount of aura into the flower and activated it.

He stayed silent as the events in the New Island stadium, from when Mew appeared to the moment where Mewtwo erased all of their memories. He himself had found the flower in his backpack and assumed that Mewtwo or more likely Mew had left it there for him

Once the flower returned to its normal state, Ash stored it back into his backpack. His mother and friends were silent as they all looked at him in horror. Oddly, Professor Oak seemed the least bit surprised. Finally, Delia came up and hugged him tightly, "I'm so proud of you sweetheart. I know I shouldn't be, but I am. Just...just promise me that you will be careful in the future."

"Always mom," Ash said, hugging her back tightly.

In an attempt to change the subject, Misty said, "You did really well out there, that Jeanette girl didn't stand a chance."

"I agree," Cynthia said, "particularly adapting to her unorthodox strategy with the Bellsprout."

"Thanks girls," he said.

"The championship tournament starts the day after tomorrow, so the trainers can have a break to relax," Brock said.

"In that case, I'm going to make you all your favourites so you can keep your strength up," Delia said happily.

"Really? That's great mom, but where are you going to cook around here?" Ash wondered.

She just laughed, "Leave that to me," she said.

* * *

"This is either going to be very good or very bad," Misty said. Cynthia nodded mutely in agreement.

They were all watching as Delia scrambled around the restaurant kitchen cooking up a gourmet meal. The food turned out to be delicious, even the chefs working at the restaurant had asked for Delia's recipe.

"You know if you win your next match, you can use up to six Pokémon per battle," Oak was saying as they walked to the elevator.

"I know," Ash said, "but I'm going to wait until I know who I'm battling before switching."

Oak pressed the call button on the elevator and turned back to Ash, "If you always remember to do your best, you're a winner even if you lose. That's the important thing."

"But try to win," Delia added.

"Right," Ash said, "I'll remember that."

The door opened and they all walked in.

"Hold the door please, I'm going down stairs too," a voice called. Ash turned to see a kid wearing teal clothing and a blue hat running up to them. Clinging to his back was a large and overstuffed backpack.

"Sure," Oak said. He placed his hand over the door to keep it from closing as the kid ran in.

"Thank you very much," he said to Oak.

"No problem," Oak said.

The kid then noticed Pikachu on the floor at Misty's side. "Oh cool a Pikachu," he said kneeling, "Whose is he?"

"Mine," Misty said.

"You're lucky," the boy said, reaching out and rubbing Pikachu just under his electric sacs. Pikachu signed with delight while Misty looked on happily.

"Wow, you found just the right spot," she said, "Pikachu doesn't often let strangers touch him."

"I can see you did a great job raising him," He said. He then noticed Riolu standing next to Ash, "whoa, what's that Pokémon?"

"This is my pal Riolu," Ash said, rubbing Riolu between the ears.

"Cool, I've never seen one of those before," He replied. Pulling out a Pokédex he tried to scan Riolu, but it failed. "Why didn't it work?" He questioned.

"That would be because your Pokédex is only programmed to scan Pokémon from the Kanto Region," Sam said.

"Riolu originate from the Sinnoh Region," Cynthia explained, "here." She pulled out her own Pokédex and scanned Riolu, holding it up for the boy to see.

" **Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. Riolu has the power to see and understand emotions like happiness and anger in aura waves."**

"That's cool, you're lucky to have a Pokémon like that.

Suddenly the elevator came to a halt and the lights went out.

"Hey what happened?" Misty asked.

"The power went out," Oak surmised.

Brock moved over to the emergency call button, "Hello, can anyone here me?" No response.

Ritchie moved over to the panel under the call button and started fiddling with the wires.

"Do you mind if I borrow your Pikachu for a moment?" he asked. He was holding two small electrical wires in his hand.

"Uh, sure," Misty said. She picked up Pikachu and held him out to The boy. The kid held the wires to Pikachu's electric sacks, "Ok Pikachu, can you use ThunderShock?"

Pikachu started streaming electricity into the elevator. The lights came back on and the elevator started descending again.

"We're moving," Misty said happily.

"Smart idea," Cynthia complimented.

They reached the ground floor and the doors slid open. Pikachu cut off the electricity and everyone started running out.

"We made it," Misty said happily.

"I'm glad we held the door open for you," Brock said.

"We can't thank you enough," Delia said.

"Don't thank me," he said, "Thank Pikachu."

"Thank you anyway," Ash said, holding out his hand, "I'm Ash Ketchum."

"Ritchie Matthews," he said, shaking Ash's hand, "Nice to meet you. I need to go. Later." He ran off.

"What a sweety," Delia said.

"Very mature for his age, much like you are Ash," Oak said.

"Thanks, I think," Ash said.

"Attention please, may I have your attention please," a female voice echoed into the building.

"This is an emergency announcement for all participants in the Pokémon League Competition," a male voice continued, "This is not only a test."

The female voice went on to say, "All trainers must bring their Poké balls to the Pokémon Pavilion for an official inspection immediately."

"That's odd," Cynthia said, "I don't remember anything about a Poké ball inspection."

"Me neither," Ash said, "I guess we had better go check it out."

* * *

Ash and Cynthia arrived at the Pokémon Pavilion to find it already filled with trainers. Looking around, they were surprised to spy Ritchie milling about in the crowd too. "Hey Ritchie!" Ash called.

"Ash!" he said happily, running over, "how's it going?"

"Great," Ash said.

Ritchie turned to Cynthia, "Sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier."

"I'm Cynthia," she said, "Are you competing in the League as well?"

"Yeah, I didn't realize you guys were as well," Ritchie said.

"Yeah," Ash nodded.

"Hey, what was your other friends name?" Ritchie asked, "The redhead with the Pikachu. I meant to ask but I was in a hurry."

Ash noted a slight blush on Ritchie's face and smirked, "Her name is Misty. She's one of the Gym Leaders for the Cerulean City Gym."

"A Gym Leader? Wow," Ritchie said in amazement.

Ash and Cynthia exchanged a look, smirking at each other.

An official suddenly spoke into a microphone, "We must now collect all of your Poké balls to complete the required examination. Please place all Poké balls into the bag held by this official looking man with a mustache. Any trainers who fail to turn in all their Pokémon will be disqualified from the League."

Ash blinked, "this doesn't seem right."

"Yeah," Ritchie said, looking suspiciously at the duo.

"They seem kind of familiar," Ash said after a moment, watching as the two made their way through the crowd to collect Poké balls.

"You too twe...I mean young man," the man said when he arrived in front of Ritchie. Though he seemed reluctant, Ritchie dropped all of his Poké balls into the back, and the official turned to Ash and Cynthia. "You as well."

Ash squinted at them. "Have we met before?" he asked.

The man blinked in surprise, while the woman said, "No of course not. Now your Poké balls please."

"Can we see some ID?" Cynthia said.

"What on earth for?" the woman asked, sounding nervous.

"Well none of us were prepared for this inspection," Cynthia said, "I just want to make sure that you guys are the real deal."

"Yeah, it seems like a lot of trouble to go through," Ash said.

The man and woman twitched and shuddered as Cynthia and Ash spoke.

"P...pre...prepare..." the woman stuttered out.

"T...t...trouble," the man stuttered.

Quite suddenly they ripped their clothing off to reveal white Team Rocket uniforms beneath.

"Prepare for trouble," the woman began.

"And make it double," the guy continued.

"To protect the world from devastation,"

"To unite all people within our nation,"

"To denounce the evils of truth..."

"Hey I remember you," Ash interrupted, "you were on the St. Anne before it sunk."

"How dare you interrupt the motto," Jessie shrieked at him.

"You're just as bad as the twerp," James added, pointing at Ritchie.

Ash looked to Ritchie, "You know these clowns?"

Ritchie nodded sadly, "they've been stalking me for nearly a year now, ever since I stopped them from stealing the Pokémon from the Viridian City Pokémon Center.".

"That was you?" Ash asked, stunned, "I arrived at the center the next day."

"Huh, small world," Ritchie said.

"Excuse us," Jessie interrupted, "We're stealing everyone's Pokémon here."

"Now if you'd be so kind as to hand us your Poké balls," James said, "Or things might get...ugly."

Ash turned a glare on them, "Ugly huh? Why wait?" He tossed a Poké ball into the air, "Dragonair, use Wrap!"

The ball burst open and Dragonair appeared already winding his way around the duo and holding them tightly.

"Gah! Hey let us go!" Jessie shrieked.

"Yeah, what have we ever done to you?" James demanded.

"Tried to steal my Pokémon," Ash deadpanned, turning he shouted, "Hey would someone call Officer Jenny?"

"Already done Ash," Cynthia said, lowering her wrist which Ash now noticed had a Pokétch on it. He assumed it probably had a communicator function. She tossed her own Poké ball and released her Gabite, "Keep an eye on these two will you sweety? We don't want them escaping."

"Gabite," she said, before turning a glare on the duo.

While they were waiting, Ritchie retrieved the bag of Poké balls from Team Rocket and helped everyone reclaim their property.

Soon a battalion of Officer Jenny's arrived and promptly arrested Team Rocket, promising that they would be in jail for a long time.

"Thanks a lot guys," Ritchie said, "They've been a real pain."

"No problem," Ash said.

"I gotta go," Ritchie said, "I want to get some training done before our matches tomorrow. See you 'round."

"Bye," Ash and Cynthia called after him.

"Ash," Cynthia said, "I just want to say, what you did...that was very brave of you."

Ash knew she wasn't talking about just now with Team Rocket.

"It was an accident," he said, "I didn't realize I was using so much aura."

"I don't believe that for a second," Cynthia said, "I know about aura guardians. They originate from Sinnoh you know."

"An argument could be made that they originate in Cameron Palace," Ash replied, "That's northern Kanto."

"Not the point," Cynthia said with a glare, "I know that an Aura user is always aware when they use too much. The stories say the pain is indescribable."

"They're right about that," Ash mumbled. He shuddered, remembering the pain of overusing his aura.

Cynthia leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You're a good man Ash Ketchum. I gotta go, see you later."

She turned and began walking away. Ash stared after her in a daze; until Riolu bumped into him, snickering.

Ash glared at him, "Laugh it up fuzzball."

* * *

Ash walked into the Registration center and looked around. In front of each of the desks was a large tank of water with a couple of Magikarp swimming around in it.

"What's all this?" Misty wondered aloud as she came up next to Ash.

"Not a clue," Ash said.

He looked around, hoping to see the long blonde hair of Cynthia but was disappointed. However, he did see a familiar face fishing in the closest tank.

"Hey Ritchie," he called, walking up to the trainer.

"Oh, hey Ash, how's it going?" he asked. Suddenly, the fishing pole started shaking and Ritchie pulled it from the tank.

"B-5," the attendant said, "You're the first in that block. Your Pokédex will inform you when your opponent has been selected."

"Ok, thank you," Ritchie said. The attendant smiled at him and returned the Magikarp to a Pokéball.

"So this is how we select our opponents?" Ash asked.

"Interesting," Brock commented, "This prevents anyone from interfering with the matchups."

"Exactly," the attendant said, smiling at them.

"Will Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town step up?" a voice called from another desk.

"That's me," Ash said, he hurried over and took up the fishing rod waiting next to the tank. Dipping it in the water, he waited until one of the Magikarp bit into the hook and yanked it back out. His strong muscles were easily able to hold up the flailing fish as the attendant read the number on the Pokémon's side.

"A-3" she said, "you're opponent is…" she trailed off and gestured to the screen, returning the Magikarp to a Pokéball.

A picture of Ash appeared on the screen, and then shrunk to half it's size and his opponents picture appeared next to his. Ash let out a gasp as he saw his opponent, his face quickly turned dark and he whirled around to go make a call.

"Wait, Ash!" Misty called after him, but he didn't respond.

* * *

Ash stood with a single Pokéball in his hand, glaring heatedly across the stadium at his opponent. Damian looked back with a cocky smirk on his face, assured he would win.

The judge for the match took his position as the MC prattled on about their achievements. "This is a three on three Pokémon battle," the judge said, "the winner shall be declared when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed, let the battle begin!"

"Let's get this over with," Damian said cockily, "Nidoking, I choose you!"

He through his Pokéball and released a massive Drill Pokémon to the field.

"Hey Damian," Ash yelled, "Do you remember that Charmander you released? He'd like to say hi!" With that, Ash threw his Pokéball to the field and released Charmeleon to the field. The Fire type was literally glowing with rage as he glowered at Damian.

"What?" Damian said in shock, staring at the Pokémon across from him, "That's impossible. That Charmander was so weak he couldn't beat a Bellsprout!"

Charmeleon snorted and released a massive roar that created a shockwave that kicked up dust across the field.

"Grr, Nidoking finish this now, use Hyper Beam!" Damian shouted.

Nidoking reared up as an orange orb of energy formed in front of its open maw, and fired a powerful beam of orange energy at Charmeleon.

"Dodge," Ash ordered

Charmeleon leapt to the left, doing a quick barrel roll back to his feet.

"Now get in close and use Metal Claw," Ash ordered.

Charmeleon's claws lengthened and hardened into steel. He raced down the field and slashed his iron hard claws across Nidoking's chest, drawing a roar of pain from it.

"Nidoking, use Horn Drill!" Damian ordered.

"Dodge and use Fire Punch," Ash said.

Nidoking's horn started rotating quickly as he charged towards Charmeleon. The Flame Pokémon twisted out of the way of the attack and jabbed Nidoking hard in the side with a flaming fist.

"Grr, use Stone Edge!" Damian ordered, angry that his attacks keep missing.

Two white circles formed around Nidoking. The broke apart and formed into several sharp jagged stone as they orbited around Nidoking. The Drill Pokémon roared as he launched them at Charmeleon.

"Protect," Ash ordered.

A green shield formed into being before Charmeleon, deflecting each of the stones harmlessly away.

"Hyper Beam Nidoking!" Damian shouted in fury.

Nidoking opened his mouth and began charging the powerful attack.

"Protect again!" Ash ordered. This would be a gamble, but one he knew Charmeleon would be willing to take.

Nidoking fired, the powerful beam of energy roared down the field right at Charmeleon. At the last second, Charmeleon once again brought up the protect. The Hyper Beam slammed into it with an explosion, enveloping the field in smoke.

Ash held his breath as he waited to see if it had worked. A red glow from within the fading smoke gave him hope. When the smoke cleared, Charmeleon stood unharmed, glaring heatedly at Damian.

"Now Fire Blast!," Ash called out.

Charmeleon roared and launched a powerful blast of fire at Nidoking. The flames took on the shape of a five point star and slammed into the Drill Pokémon with an explosion of flames. The field rocked as smoke surrounded the whole place.

When the fumes cleared, Nidoking was revealed unconscious.

"Nidoking is unable to battle, Charmeleon wins," the judge announced.

"Grr, Nidoking return," Damian growled, pulling his Pokémon back to it's Pokéball. "Machamp, I choose you!" With a burst of light, the four-armed Superpower Pokémon appeared on the field.

Charmeleon snorted derisively as Machamp flexed his muscles in an intimidating manner.

"Let's wrap this up quick," Damian said, getting his cockiness back with the new Pokémon, "Machamp, use Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp raced down the field at Charmeleon as his arms started glowing with energy.

"Block it with Mega Punch, then use Dragon Tail!" Ash quickly countered.

Charmeleon clenched his fist as an orb of energy surrounded it. With a roar, he charged at Machamp, and their fists met in the middle of the field with a crash of energy.

As Machamp struggled to overpower the Fire type, Charmeleon's tail started glowing bright green. He suddenly released the hold he had on Machamp, causing the Fighting Type to stumble in surprise, and swung around to nail it in the face with his tail.

"Machamp!" it yelled in surprise as it went flying back towards its trainer. The Superpower Pokémon was then enveloped in red energy as he was recalled to his Pokéball, much to Damian's surprise. A moment later, another Pokéball burst open on Damian's waist and a Fearow appeared on the field.

Fearow shook its head slightly as if just waking up, but quickly took to the air, ready for battle.

Damien stared in surprise, but quickly shook his head, "Whatever, it doesn't matter what I use you're going down."

Charmeleon roared angrily at the out of reach Fearow. Suddenly his body was enveloped in blinding blue/white energy. He grew larger and more muscular, his belly grew wider and his neck longer. Large wings sprouted from his back, and his tail doubled in length. The energy burst away to reveal a newly evolved Charizard. He let out a massive roar, shaking the ground with the power of it and causing Fearow to squawk in fear.

Damian took a step back in surprise before straightening and glaring. "It doesn't matter what form you are, I won't lose to a weakling like you! Fearow use Drill Peck!"

Fearow's long sharp beak started spinning like a drill as it raced towards Charizard.

"Block it and use Thunderpunch!" Ash commanded.

To Ash's surprise, Charizard's wings took on a metallic glow as they became hard as steel and he quickly folded them in front of his body. Not a moment later, Fearow slammed into Charizard but did little damage.

Charizard's small fist started crackling with energy as he unfurled his wings to stay up in the air and he punched Fearow hard. The Beak Pokémon squawked as the electricity coursed through it and went tumbling away.

"Fearow, use Aerial Ace!" Damian commanded

Fearow quickly righted itself and sped towards Charizard as a spiraling white energy surrounded it. Too quick for Charizard to dodge, the Beak Pokémon slammed into the Fire type, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Get up Charizard, use Fire Blast!" Ash called.

Charizard leapt to his feet and took back to the air with fire in his eyes. Without even giving Fearow a chance to escape, he unleashed a massive burst of flame in the shape of a five point star.

Fearow squawked as the attack exploded against itself, sending it flying down to the field with a crash.

"Now finish this with Dragon Rage!" Ash ordered.

Charizard roared and unleashed a blue blast of energy from his maw. It took the shape of a massive dragon and crashed into Fearow and exploded. After a moment, Fearow was revealed to be completely unconscious.

"Fearow is unable to battle, Charizard wins!" the judge announced.

Damian was steaming with anger now as he recalled his Fearow. With no other choice, he threw out his Machamp for the final battle.

"Use Focus Punch!" Damian ordered.

Machamp's fist started glowing brightly as he ran down the field at Charizard.

"Use Dragon Claw," Ash ordered, "Deflect it and then use Fire Fang."

Charizard's claw's started glowing light blue, and just as Machamp's fist came at his stomach he wrapped his hands around the attack. There was a shock wave as the conflicting energies met and Charizard went sliding back with the power of the Focus Punch but held strong.

Once he knew he had Machamp, Charizard's mouth caught ablaze. He bit down on the Fighting type's shoulder, causing it to howl in pain and back off.

"Flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

Charizard took a deep breath, and launched a barrage of flames at Machamp, severely burning the Superpower Pokémon and blasting it back.

Machamp whimpered slightly, even as Damian growled in anger.

"Machamp, don't be a wimp," he yelled, "Get in there and use Giga Impact!"

Machamp got a determined look on his face, and it began charging at Charizard again. As it ran, a purple aura with spiraling streaks of gold surrounded it.

"Flare Blitz," Ash said.

The Flame Pokémon gained his own fiery red aura as he flew down the field at the charging. Charizard's attack was so powerful, that the flames flashed and turned bright blue to signal a hotter flame.

The two powerhouses met in the center of the field with an explosion that covered the whole stadium with smoke. After just moments, Charizard came flying out of the top of the smoke, wincing as the recoil damage was administered.

"Now let's finish this, use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered.

Flipping in midair, Charizard became surrounded with white streaks of energy with the focal point right in front of his snout. With barely a moment's thought he flew back into the smoke and crashed hard into the now frozen form of Machamp.

The Superpower Pokémon screamed in pain as the Super-effective attack hit it, and sent it flying into one of the stadium walls. He slumped down on the ground in pain, waiting for blissful oblivion to come.

"You had better get up or else!" Damian all but growled to the Pokémon. The spectators had gone silent as the match unfolded, and a good few of them heard Damian's statement. Murmurs of disapproval swept through the crowd as those who didn't hear were quickly filled in.

Machamp struggled to get up, valiantly managing to stand on its weak legs.

"Damian!" Ash called, "can't you see that your Pokémon is severely injured? There's no shame in calling it quits."

"I don't care!" Damian shouted back, "Machamp, get up now and use Cross Chop!"

Ash just sighed as he watched Machamp struggling to use the attack. "Charizard, put it out of its misery," he said, "use Overheat!"

Charizard's body started glowing red as he focused his flames on his next attack. After a moment, he opened his mouth and launched a beam of white hot flames surrounded by a spiraling red flame at Machamp. The Superpower Pokémon actually smiled slightly as the attack slammed into him, sending him instantly into unconsciousness.

"Machamp is unable to battle," the judge announced, "Charizard wins. The victor is Ash Ketchum!"

Damian was vibrating with rage and panting heavily. He rushed out to the field and right up to his Pokémon. With wild abandon, he started kicking Machamp while screaming, "YOU STUPID USELESS POKÉMON! I SHOULD JUST SEND YOUR POKÉ BALL INTO THE SEA FOR THIS!"

The whole stadium looked on in horror as Damian continued to kick his Pokémon.

Charizard suddenly let out a roar of fury as he flew straight at Damian. Ash whipped out Charizard's Pokéball and returned him, knowing that his Pokémon would kill Damian if he had the chance.

Not moments later, a horde of Officer Jenny's came rushing out to the stadium. The first one tackled Damian to the ground and started cuffing him.

"You're under arrest for Pokémon abuse!" she said, pulling him to his feet.

"Argh, lemme at him!" Damian shouted, raging and trying to get to his Pokémon.

Ash just sighed and walked out of the stadium, he wasn't interested in watching the idiot being carried off.

He met his two friends just outside of the stadium.

"That was a good battle Ash," Misty said.

"I was surprised how Charizard acted though," Brock said.

"It's not really all that surprising," Ash said, "Damian was Charizard's first trainer."

Their eyes widened. "Yeah, that does make sense," Misty said.

"Anyway," Ash said, "Charizard's in a rage, I need to get somewhere safe where I can calm him down."

"Do you want us to come with?" Brock asked.

Ash shook his head, "Better not. He's going to be pretty steamed, it'll be better if it's just Riolu and I."

* * *

 **Thus ends Chapter 14.**

 **So, what did you guys think about this chappy? I'm sure many of you are curious about Ash's father, unfortunately I have no plans on revealing his identity for quite a while yet, so don't bother asking. Any guesses, private or public, will be met with silence. I'll give you guys a tiny hint, a love of Pokemon isn't the only thing that Ash Ketchum and Samuel Oak have in common. ;)**

 **Yay, Charmeleon finally evolved. I'm sure many of you were expecting this, and a lot more of you guys are waiting for Riolu to evolve as well. Rest assured it will happen, but I have a very special event that will trigger it, but it won't be during the Indigo League, sorry.**

 **Until next week guys,**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning, Ash went to the Registration center to find out his next opponent. On the way there, he met up with Ritchie who'd won his own match against A.J.

"Good for you," Ash said, slapping Ritchie on the back, "I saw him battle at a tournament about two months ago, he isn't easy to beat."

"Yeah, that Sandslash of his is no joke," Ritchie said.

They stepped into the center and looked up at the board. Ash quickly found his face, paired up with…Ritchie.

Ash had a shocked look on his face as he turned to look at Ritchie, who's face mirrored his own. Ash quickly snapped out of it and smiled, "I guess it's you and me," he said, "Are you ready for the battle of your life?"

Ritchie smiled back, "Yeah, let's show them how real trainers battle." He held out his hand.

Ash shook it; "I'll see you on the field."

Ritchie nodded and left.

As he made his way to the Pokémon Center to pick up Charizard, he met up with Cynthia.

"Good morning Ash," she greeted.

"Morning Cynthia," he greeted with a smile and a blush.

"I saw your battle yesterday," she said, "that Charizard looked quite fierce, especially near the end."

"Yeah well, that trainer was Charizard's original trainer," Ash explained, "and well…you saw what he did to that Machamp after I defeated him."

Cynthia nodded, "despicable," she muttered.

Ash nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry I missed your battle, I needed to take Charizard away to calm him."

"I understand," she said, nodding, "how did you calm him? He looked pretty furious."

"Talk him down mostly," Ash replied, "let him pummel a boulder or three."

"So you didn't use your aura?" She asked.

Ash sighed, "you can't use aura to manipulate other beings emotions."

Cynthia's brow furrowed, "But in that Stadium from the time crystal you soothed all of those Pokémon fighting."

Ash shook his head, "I temporarily forced my emotions onto them, but as soon as the aura faded so did the feelings. I only did that because I was desperate. I was hoping that if they could understand how wonderful life is then they would stop fighting. The fact that I literally died saving them was just the nail in the coffin.

"Charizard already knows how much I love him, so forcing my emotions on him would have been a temporary solution. He needed to work out his feelings and aggression on his own."

Cynthia nodded in understanding. She smiled, "You're a good trainer Ash. I don't just mean in battle, you truly care for and understand your Pokémon."

Ash blushed, "I'm just trying to help them get stronger."

"And that's what I mean," Cynthia said, "You want them to get stronger, not for your sake but for theirs. A lot of trainers, me included once upon a time, force their Pokémon to get stronger just to win a match."

Ash looked curiously at her. "What changed?"

Cynthia smiled, "I met a young man who showed me how much more I could be." She winked at him, "I expect you to be at my next match Ash, cheering."

"I will," Ash promised.

She walked away, but not before throwing another wink at him and swinging her hips as she walked. Ash stared after her in a slight daze until Riolu whacked him in the side.

Ash jumped and glared at the snickering Pokémon. "Shut up," he said.

* * *

Ash stood on the green side of the battlefield in Indigo Stadium. He had his full team lined up and ready. Across the field, Ritchie stood looking confident, a Pokéball clutched in his hand.

The judge stepped up to the field, "This will be a full six-on-six Pokémon battle. The winner shall be declared when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Substitutions are allowed, let the battle begin!"

Ritchie moved first, throwing his Pokéball to the field, "Go Happy!" With a flash of light, a Butterfree appeared on the field.

Ash threw his own Pokéball to the field, "Jolteon to the battlefront!" Jolteon burst free of the ball and landed before Ash, sparking at the Butterfree.

"Jolteon use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, taking the first move.

"Dodge it!" Ritchie ordered.

Jolteon launched a bolt of lightning at the bug type. Happy gracefully flew out of it's way, avoiding any damage.

"Now use Psybeam!" Ritchie ordered.

"Freeee!" it shouted as it launched a bolt of multicolored energy from it's eyes.

"Agility," Ash ordered, "then Thunderbolt."

Jolteon vanished in a burst of speed, and the Psybeam hit the empty field where he once stood. A second later Jolteon appeared right below Happy and unleashed another bolt of electricity into the Butterfly Pokémon.

"Freeee!" it cried out in pain from the attack.

"Hang in there Happy, use Gust!" Ritchie called.

Happy flew back and unleashed a powerful gale that slammed into Jolteon, sending him skidding several feet.

"Quick, Thunderbolt again!" Ash shouted.

"Joolt!" he shouted, unleashing yet another bolt of lightning at Happy. It slammed into the Butterfree, eliciting another cry from it.

"Happy return!" Ritchie ordered, recalling the Butterfree to it's Poké ball.

"Go Rocko, use Drill Run!" he shouted, throwing his second Poké ball to the field.

A large Rhydon appeared already preparing its attack. It leapt into the air and started spinning at high speed, rocketing down the field at Jolteon.

Jolteon barely had time to yelp before the attack hit him, causing him to cry out in pain from the Super Effective Attack.

"Jolteon, quick use Double Kick!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon got back to his feet and raced at Rocko. As the Rhydon finished it's attack and stood on it's two feet, Jolteon was on it, kicking twice with his rear legs and sending Rocko staggering back.

"Rock Blast," Ritchie called.

Rocko blasted several Rock like projectiles straight at Jolteon from its horn.

"Agility!" Ash snapped.

Jolteon vanished in a burst of speed, racing all over the field and dodging each of Rocko's attacks.

"Double Kick again!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon appeared right next to Rocko and slammed into it once again, kicking twice with his rear feet.

"Rhyyy!" it called out in pain.

"Horn Drill!" Ritchie ordered.

Ash's eyes widened, if that attack connected then it would be all over for Jolteon. "Last Resort!"

Rocko's drill started rotating at high speed and it charged at Jolteon. At the same time Jolteon's body became enveloped in a bright white and red aura as he charged at Rocko. They met in the center of the field with a massive explosion, enveloping the entire stadium in smoke.

When the smoke cleared, it revealed both Jolteon and Rocko unconscious on the field.

"Both Rhydon and Jolteon are unable to battle," the judge announced.

"Rocko/Jolteon return," Ritchie and Ash said, returning their Pokémon.

"Go Happy!"

"Haunter to the battlefront!"

Both pokémon appeared and squared off.

"Happy, use Psybeam!" Ritchie ordered.

"Dodge it!" Ash ordered.

Happy once again launched the psychic attack, but Haunter easily flew around it.

"Hypnosis!" Ash called.

Haunter cackled as he turned invisible.

"Keep an eye out Happy," Ritchie ordered, his eyes scanning the field.

Haunter suddenly appeared right in front of Happy and sent a ray of energy from his eyes at the bug type. Happy instantly fell asleep and fell to the field.

"Happy no! Wake up!" Ritchie called out.

"Now Dream Eater!" Ash ordered.

Cackling, Haunter launched a shadowy version of himself at Happy. It passed straight through the Butterfree, draining it's energy and causing it to cry out in pain as it awoke.

"Alright, quick use Psybeam!" Ritchie ordered.

Happy quickly took back to the air and launched a stream of multicolored energy at haunter. It crashed into him, drawing a yell of pain. "Hauuuuun!" he cried.

"Now Shadow Punch!" Ash ordered.

Haunter punched in Happy's direction and a shadow of his fist burst out and flew straight at the Butterfree. Happy tried to dodge, but the fist merely altered course and slammed straight into Happy's gut.

"Happy, use Sleep Powder!" Ritchie called.

"Free!" Happy called, flying high over haunter and releasing sparkling powder from it's wings. Haunter went cross eyed as the powder fell around him. He sneezed before falling to the ground, unconscious.

"Great, now Gust!" Ritchie shouted.

"Wake up haunter!" Ash shouted desperately.

Happy flapped its wings powerfully, creating a gale wind that blasted into Haunter and sent him flying into the stadium wall.

"Now finish it with Psybeam!" Ritchie commanded.

Happy launched another beam of psychic energy at Haunter and it connected with an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Haunter was lying in a heap within the small crater.

"Haunter is unable to battle, Butterfree wins," the judge announced.

"Return haunter," Ash said, recalling the Ghost to it's ball. "Thanks a lot buddy, you did awesome." He switched balls and threw his new one shouting, "Pidgeot, to the battlefront! Use Aerial Ace!"

With a burst of light Pidgeot appeared and soared straight at Happy, slamming into it with extreme force.

"Freeee!" Happy shouted in pain even as it crashed down to the field. It didn't get back up.

"Butterfree is unable to battle, Pidgeot wins," the judge announced.

"Happy return, go Sparky!" Ritchie shouted. Out of his third Poké ball burst a yellow Pikachu, the only oddity on it being the spiked up hair on his forehead.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Ritchie ordered.

The Pikachu leapt high into the air and unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity at Pidgeot. It nailed her right in the chest, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Quick use Twister!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeot flapped her wings rapidly and created a powerful tornado which bared down on Sparky and swept him up, spinning him around and tossing him into a nearby wall. He landed on the ground, his face scrunched up in pain.

"Quick Sparky use Thunderbolt again!" Ritchie shouted.

Sparky got back to his feet and launched a powerful Thunderbolt at Pidgeot.

"Dodge it," Ash shouted.

Pidgeot swerved through the air and barely dodged passed the Thunderbolt.

"Now Hurricane!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot's wings glowed blue as she flapped powerfully, creating a gale force wind that slammed into Sparky and blasted him back.

"Pikaaa!" he cried out in pain.

"Volt Tackle!" Ritchie bellowed.

The Pikachu rushed at Pidgeot, changing his name as a powerful aura of electricity surrounded him. Pidgeot tried to dodge but she was too slow and Sparky slammed into her with an explosion.

"Pidgeoooo!" She cried out as the electricity surged through her before she collapsed, falling to the ground in a dead faint.

"PIdgeot is unable to battle, Pikachu wins," the judge announced.

Sparky winced in pain from the recoil as he returned to stand in front of Ritchie. Ash pulled out PIdgeot's Poké ball and returned her, "You deserve a long rest Pidgeot, you did great." Putting her Poké ball away he turned to Riolu and nodded.

"Ri," he said and bounded out to the field.

"Dig and Force Palm," Ash said.

Riolu instantly vanished underground.

"Keep an eye out Sp...Sparky!" Ritchie suddenly shouted as the ground exploded underneath his Pokémon.

Riolu appeared beneath Sparky and slammed his palm into the Pikachu's gut. Sparky shouted in pain. A moment later Riolu's palm ignited and blasted Sparky clear across the field where he slammed into a wall and slumped down unconscious.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Riolu wins," the judge announced.

"No Sparky," Ritchie ran out and scooped up the electric mouse, cuddling him in his arms. He returned to the battle box and let Sparky rest next to him instead of in his ball. Ritchie then grabbed a new Poké ball and launched it to the field. "Go Zippo!" Out of the ball burst a powerful looking Charmeleon.

"Zippo use Flamethrower!" Ritchie ordered.

"Meleon!" Zippo shouted as he launched a blast of flames at Riolu.

"Agility!" Ash snapped out.

Riolu vanished and in a burst of speed just as the Flamethrower passed where he had once stood. "Now Brick Break!"

Riolu appeared right behind Zippo and brought his glowing paw down on its shoulder with a powerful karate chop.

"Meeel," it cried out.

"Slash!" Ritchie shouted.

Gritting its teeth, Zippo turned around and slashed at Riolu with glowing claws. Riolu cried out in pain, quickly backing off.

"Aura Sphere!" Ash yelled.

Riolu launched the attack and it slammed into Zippo with an explosion, blasting it back several feet.

"Flamethrower!" Ritchie shouted.

"Dodge and use Force Palm!" Ash countered.

Riolu leapt to the side as the Flamethrower blew past him, then rushed at Zippo. Before it could react, Riolu was standing in front it with his palm against its chest. The Force Palm ignited and blasted Charmeleon back several feet.

"Flame Burst!" Ritchie shouted.

"Meeeel!" Zippo shouted furiously and launched a bolt of compressed fire at Riolu. It exploded on impact, sending him flying back several feet.

Grunting, Riolu got to is feet, glaring at Zippo.

"Reversal!" Ash ordered.

Riolu nodded and launched the attack, firing a beam of fighting energy straight at Zippo. It impacted with a massive explosion, sending the Charmeleon flying into the stadium wall. He didn't get back up.

"Charmeleon is unable to battle, Riolu wins!"

"Return Zippo, Go Poly; Hypnosis!" Ritchie shouted.

His Poké ball burst open and a Poliwhirl burst free and landed in front of Riolu. Before the Emanation Pokémon could react, Poly's chest was spiraling, drawing Riolu's attention until he fell asleep.

"No Riolu, wake up!" Ash shouted.

Ritchie grinned, "Now Poly, use Wake-up Slap."

"Poli," Poly said and charged at Riolu, slapping him right in the face. Riolu woke up with a cry of pain.

"Circle Throw!" Ash shouted.

Riolu quickly grabbed Poly and launched him over himself, sending the Tadpole Pokémon flying several meters across the field.

"Now Aura Sphere!" Ash called.

Riolu painfully got back to his feet and launched an aura sphere that impacted against Poly with an explosion.

"Whiiiiirl," it shouted in pain.

"Quick Poly, use Mud Shot!" Ritchie shouted.

Poliwhirl launched the attack and it impacted against Riolu, drawing another cry of pain from him.

"Aura Sphere again!" Ash shouted.

"Payback!" Ritchie shouted.

Poly charged at Riolu. It grunted as yet another Aura Sphere exploded against itself but kept coming and crashed into Riolu with an explosion.

Riolu finally succumbed to his injuries and exhaustion and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Poly stood panting over him, before he also fell back in a faint.

"Both Riolu and Poliwhirl are unable to battle, this round is a tie."

Ash ran out and scooped up Riolu, hugging him close as he carried him back to the trainer box. "You were awesome buddy, thank you so much," Ash said, sitting Riolu down to rest next to him. Turning to Ritchie he pulled out his next Poké ball and threw it to the field in sync with Ritchie.

"Scyther to the Battlefront/Go Petal!"

With dual flashes of light, both Scyther and a Bellossom appeared on the field.

"Petal, use Sunny Day!" Ritchie shouted.

"Bellossom," Petal said and launched an orange orb high into the air. At it's peak it burst and brightened the intensity of the sun.

Ash pulled his hat lower over his eyes to protect his vision and yelled out, "Scyther, use X-Scissor!"

"Scyther!" The Mantis Pokémon rushed at Bellossom with his arms crossed and glowing with energy.

"Dodge and use Leaf Blizzard!" Ritchie shouted.

Moving faster than Ash would have thought possible, Petal leapt out of Scyther's path and launched a virtual storm of hard leaves at him. Scyther winced from the attack, but his dual typing kept him from taking much damage.

"Must have Chlorophyll," Ash muttered to himself, "Fury Cutter!"

"Leaf Blade," Ritchie countered.

Scyther slashed at Petal with a red glowing blade. At the same time, Petal created a short blade of green energy in it's hand and slashed back. The two blades met in a clash of sparks, bouncing off one another. They slashed repeated, their blades glancing off one another and dealing no damage.

"Now Leaf Storm Petal!" Ritchie called.

"Lossom," Petal replied, launching an even larger storm of sharp leaves at Scyther. He winced in pain even as Ash shouted, "Use Quick Attack and Slash!"

Scyther dashed at the Bellossom and slashed hard down on it. Petal cried out in pain from the attack and was blasted back.

"Use Leaf Storm again!" Ritchie ordered.

Again, Petal launched a massive wave of leaves at Scyther.

"Agility," Ash snapped, "then use Aerial Ace.

Scyther vanished in a burst of speed, easily dodging Petal's attack. He reappeared behind Petal and charged at it with a white glow around his body. He slammed into Petal and it cried out in pain from the super-effective attack.

"Use Mega Drain!" Ritchie called desperately.

Petal lashed out with a green beam of energy in an attempt to steal Scyther's energy.

"Bug Buzz!" Ash ordered.

Scyther unleashed a shockwave of red bug energy. It quickly overwhelmed the Mega Drain and slammed painfully into Petal, sending it flying back into the stadium wall.

The judge ran out to examine Petal before raising his flag, "Bellossom is unable to battle, Scyther wins," he announced, "the victor is Ash of Pallet Town!"

The crowd roared its approval, so loud that the whole stadium shook. Ash walked out and patted Scyther on the shoulder. "Great job."

Across the field, Ritchie recalled Petal and let out a sigh. Then he smiled and walked out to Ash.

"That was a great battle Ash," he said.

"Yeah it was, you did really well," Ash said, "That was probably the hardest match I've fought in a long time."

"Next time I'm beating you though," Ritchie said.

Ash laughed, "I'm looking forward to it."

They shook hands and the crowd roared again.

* * *

Later that night, Ash stepped out of the Pokémon center with his Pokémon fully healed.

"A good battle, I'm impressed," a voice said. Turning, Ash saw Cynthia standing behind him.

"Thank you," Ash grinned, then said, "So when's your battle? I didn't notice it yesterday when I was looking of my matchup."

"Not surprising," she replied, "I'm in the last lineup, first match tomorrow morning right before the semifinals."

"Well, good luck," Ash said, "I'll be rooting for you."

"Thank you," she said, "And good luck to you in the semi-finals. Even if I win you won't meet me until the finals, assuming we both make it past the semi-finals."

"Well in that case," Ash started, "I promise to meet you at the Finals and give you the toughest battle of your life. Will you meet me there?"

She giggled at his confidence. "Very well Mr. Ketchum, I will meet you there," she shook his hand. They both laughed and parted ways.

* * *

True to form, Cynthia won her match. In fact it wasn't much of a contest and Ash privately wondered how that guy even made it to the quarterfinals or if Cynthia was just that good.

With the quarterfinals over, the four remaining trainers made there way to the Pokémon center to discover the semi-final matchup.

When Ash entered the Pokémon center he glanced at the board and noticed that the line up was already posted. He was in the first match later that afternoon, and his opponent…

Ash blinked, "I didn't even know he was here. How did I miss him?"

"The all observant Ash Ketchum never noticed me, I'm insulted," a familiar and playful voice said behind him.

Ash just grinned and turned around. "Apparently you're just not that noticeable. Or you were hiding from me. Scared?"

"Of you? In your dreams," his opponent replied.

Ash laughed, "It looks like we'll finally be able to settle this. Are you ready for the battle of your life?"

"You bet, I'll see you this afternoon," he started walking away, "Good luck, you'll need it against me."

Ash laughed and shook his head. Out of all of the people who could have been his opponent, it had to be him.

"Another friend of yours?"

Ash turned to Cynthia, smiling. "Yeah, well more a friendly rival. I've beaten him in two single matches and he beat me in a two-on-two so this is going to be a sort of tie breaker."

"I see," Cynthia said, nodding in understanding.

"Want to take a walk?" Ash asked.

She smiled.

* * *

"So how many leagues have you entered so far?" Ash asked as they walked down the path through Trainer's Village.

"Just one," Cynthia replied, "the Sinnoh League. I reached the finals before I was knocked out."

"Second place, congratulations," Ash said.

"Thanks, anyway I figure if I can win here then I'll return to Sinnoh and hopefully win the League there and challenge the Elite Four."

"And if I beat you?" Ash asked playfully.

Cynthia smiled, "Then I'll head to another region and beat that League before returning to Sinnoh."

"You seem pretty fixated on Sinnoh," Ash said, "I know it's your home region but is there something...or someone there?" He bit his lip a little worriedly.

She chuckled, "No, I don't have a boyfriend if that's what you're asking. My goal is to become the Sinnoh Champion, that way I have a guaranteed invitation to the Mastery Tournament and I can spend the rest of my time exploring and training."

"And I suppose the authority and notoriety that comes with being Champion won't be too bad," Ash said teasingly.

She just smirked at him, "So what's your goal?"

"Train and travel," Ash said simply, "Even if I win a League I don't want to challenge the Elite Four. Being a champion feels like it would seriously weigh me down, always having to be on call to answer challenges."

Cynthia nodded understandingly, "I hear that. But being a Champion opens so many doors."

"Just as many as being an Aura Guardian and Field Researcher," Ash countered.

"Touché," she replied.

* * *

Ash stood in the red square on the battlefield in Indigo Stadium. A Pokéball rested in his palm as he stared across the dirt at Steven.

The judge stepped up to the podium and raised his flag. "This semi-final match between Ash of Pallet Town and Steven of Nimbasa city is about to begin. Both trainers are allowed six Pokémon, with substitutions allowed. The match will be over when all Pokémon on one side are declared unable to battle. Trainers, release your Pokémon."

Ash wasted no time launching his Pokéball into the air, "Ivysaur, to the battlefront!"

At the same time, Steven launched his Pokéball into the air and released his Pokémon. "Let's go Scrafty!" he shouted.

With twin bursts of light, both Pokémon appeared on the field. Ivysaur stared down his opponent, eager to get on with the fight.

"Let the battle begin!" the judge shouted.

"Let's go Scrafty, use Feint Attack!" Steven ordered.

Scrafty charged at Ivysaur, ready to ram into him. Suddenly however Scrafty vanished, only to reappear to Ivysaur's left and slam into him.

"Saur!" he cried out.

"Hang in there Ivysaur, use Magical Leaf!" Ash ordered.

Ivysaur launched the attack, dozens of glowing multicolored leaves baring down in Scrafty and slamming into and around it explosively.

"Scraaaa," it cried out in pain.

"Quick Scrafty, use Brick Break!" Steven ordered.

Scrafty quickly recovered and charged at Ivysaur. It's hand was glowing brightly and it brought it painfully down on Ivysaurs head.

"Saur!" he shouted in pain.

"Poison Powder!" Ash ordered.

Ivysaur instantly expelled a purple cloud of poisonous spores. Scrafty tried to back away but it was too close and was enveloped by the cloud.

"Don't breath it in!" Steven shouted desperately.

It was too late however, Scrafty started coughing and stumbled out of the cloud with a purple aura around it.

"Grr, use Focus Punch!" Steven ordered.

Wincing from the poison, Scrafty cocked its fist and started charging a Focus Punch. With a cry it charged at Ivysaur, however Ash was ready.

"Venoshock!"

"Saur!" he said, spewing a stream of poisonous green liquid at Scrafty. It splashed against the Hoodlum Pokémon and it screamed in pain before collapsing in a dead faint.

"Scrafty no!" Steven shouted.

"Scrafty is unable to battle, Ivysaur wins!" the judge announced.

Steven sighed sadly, "Scrafty return. Let's go Darmanitan." He threw his second Poké ball out and released his second Pokémon. Ash and Riolu narrowed their eyes at the fire type, remembering their devastating loss several months before.

"Fire Punch!" Steven shouted.

"Poison Powder!" Ash countered.

"Ivy!" Ivysaur shouted, expelling a cloud of poisonous spores even as Darmanitan charged at him with a flaming fist. At the last second, Darmanitan leapt high over the Poison Powder and came crashing right down on Ivysaur, delivering a devastating blow to the grass type's side.

"Sauuurr!" Ivysaur cried out in pain.

"Now finish it with Flamethrower!" Steven ordered.

Before Ivysaur or Ash could react, Darmanitan unleashed a point blank flamethrower straight onto Ivysaur. He screamed in pain from the attack before fainting under the onslaught.

"Ivysaur is unable to battle, Darmanitan wins!" The judge announced.

Grim faced, Ash returned Ivysaur and turned to Riolu. "Ready for some payback buddy?"

"Ri!" he replied determinedly, running out to the field and squaring off against Darmanitan.

"A rematch eh?" Steven asked, grinning.

"Only this time we'll win," Ash promised.

"We'll see about that," Steven said.

"Yes we will," Ash replied determinedly.

* * *

 **Oh yes I did, Cliffhangar!**

 **Anyway, here is Chapter 15. The Indigo League is almost over, only one, maybe two chapters left.**

 **QUite a few reactions to my comments about Ash's father. All I'll say is that no one is even close.**

 **As always, thanks for reading guys, you are all awesome. Please don't hesitate to leave me a review.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi everyone, I'm so sorry for my long and unscheduled hiatus. But I'm back with a Christmas update and a promise of regular updates starting up again.**

* * *

Ash and Riolu on one side of the field, Steven and Darmanitan on the other. A heavy silence had descended upon the stadium as the audience waited for the first move.

"Aura Sphere!"

"Rollout!"

Riolu instantly launched his attack, a light blue sphere of aura soaring through the air. At the same time Darmanitan curled up into a tight ball and rolled down the field at high speed. The Aura Sphere in acted against Darmanitan, destabilizing its attack and knocking it off course.

"Now use Circle Throw!" Ash yelled.

Riolu raced at Darmanitan. As the Blazing Pokémon got to its feet, Riolu grabbed onto it and fell back, launching Darmanitan straight over his body where it crashed painfully onto the field.

"Quick Darmanitan use Flare Blitz!" Steven ordered.

Darmanitan sprang to its feet and flew down the field at Riolu with a bright blue flaming Aura enveloping it.

"Protect!" Ash snapped.

Riolu held his paws out and a green force field sprang into being before him. Darmanitan slammed into the Protect and ricocheted off, doing no damage.

"Now Cross Chop!" Ash ordered.

Riolu let the shield fall and charged at Darmanitan. His arms were crossed over his chest and glowing brightly as he crashed into it with an explosion.

"Daaarr!" Darmanitan yelled in pain.

"Grr, Fire Punch!" Steven ordered through gritted teeth.

Darmanitan reacted instantly, lashing out with a flame covered fist and nailing Riolu right in the chest.

"Riii!" Riolu yelled in pain as he was blasted back.

"Quickly use Flame Wheel!" Steven shouted.

Darmanitan was once again rolling towards Riolu, only this time it was wreathed in gyrating flames.

"Dig," Ash called.

Riolu scrambled to his feet and dove underground just in time to dodge the attack. Darmanitan went rolling right over the hole and came wheeling to a stop, standing up straight and looking around in confusion.

"Look out Darmanitan!" Steven tried to yell, but it was too late.

The ground beneath Darmanitan suddenly burst. Riolu leapt from the hole and slugged Darmanitan painfully in the jaw.

"Darmanitan!" the Pokémon shouted in pain from the super effective attack.

"Use Hammer Arm!" Steven shouted.

Darmanitan's arm started glowing and it lashed out at Riolu. Faster than he could dodge, the attack slammed into Riolu and sent him flying back. He crashed painfully to the ground but quickly bounced back to his feet. Across the field Darmanitan was panting heavily, struggling to stay standing after all of the hits it had suffered.

"Let's finish this Riolu, use Aura Sphere at full power!" Ash shouted.

"Ri ri!" Riolu charged a powerful Aura Sphere and launched it at Darmanitan.

"Dodge it!" Steven shouted desperately.

Darmanitan tried to move out of the way, but it's movements were sluggish from pain and exhaustion. The Aura Sphere impacted against its side with a massive explosion. As the smoke cleared, Darmanitan was revealed to be unconscious.

"Darmanitan is unable to battle, Riolu wins!" The judge announced.

"Return Darmanitan," Steven said, recalling his Pokémon. He switched Poké balls and threw it shouting, "let's go Serperior!"

The ball burst open and released Steven's fully evolved starter Pokémon to the field. Serperior landed on the dirt and quickly uncoiled itself, hissing at Riolu, "Serperior!"

"Use Leaf Tornado!"

Serperior raised its tail,creating a tornado of glowing leaves and launching it at Riolu.

"Protect!" Ash ordered.

Riolu raised his paws to create a shield. The green barrier formed for a moment before faltering and failing altogether. "Ri ri!" Riolu yelled in pain as the attack hit him.

"Alright, now use Wrap," Steven ordered.

Serperior slithered at Riolu and wrapped tightly around him, squeezing painfully.

"Get out of there Riolu, use Force Palm!"

Riolu struggled and cried out. Eventually he was able to wriggle his arm free. He quickly brought it up to Serperior's face and ignited it, blasting Serperior away and freeing himself.

"Great, now Aura Sphere!" Ash ordered

"Energy Ball!" Steven countered.

Both Pokemon launched their attacks at the same time. The two balls met in the center of the field and exploded.

"Now use Leaf Blade!" Steven ordered.

Serperior's tail started glowing with green energy as it sharpened into a blade. He leapt into the air and brought it slashing down on Riolu.

"Dodge, and use Blaze Kick," Ash called.

Riolu leapt to the side, barely dodging the attack. He rolled back to his feet and leapt at Serperior. HIs foot caught fire and he brought it in a roundhouse kick straight into Serperior's face.

"Peerr!" it cried out as it crashed to the floor.

"Now Rock Tomb!" Ash ordered.

Riolu punched the ground and several rocks erupted around Serperior, causing it to cry out in pain as they grazed it.

"Stay strong Serperior, use Leaf Storm," Steven ordered.

A cyclone of leaves formed around Serperior's body. They blasted the rocks away and came crashing down on Riolu. He yelled out in pain, but quickly struggled back to his feet.

"Finish it!' Ash yelled, "Aura Sphere!"

Riolu cupped his paws together and formed a powerful sphere of aura. With a shove he launched it; the sphere soared through the air and slammed into Serperior with an explosion, drawing a cry of pain from the grass type. When the smoke was clear, Serperior was revealed to be unconscious.

"Serperior is unable to battle, Riolu wins," the judge announced.

"Serperior return," Steven said, recalling his Pokémon. He whispered to Serperior's Poké ball for a moment before switching out his next Pokémon. "Let's go Druddigon, use Dragon Pulse!"

The Poké ball burst open and released a large rough skin red and blue dragon type Pokémon. The Druddigon landed on the field with a crash already charging its first attack. With a roar it launched its Dragon Pulse, a compressed ball of teal draconic energy, at Riolu.

"Look out!" Ash shouted.

Riolu tried to dive to the side, but as tired as he was he just wasn't fast enough. The dragon pulse slammed into him and detonated, sending him flying across the field. He landed in a heap at Ash's feet, unmoving.

"Riolu is unable to battle, Druddigon wins!"

"No, Riolu," Ash stepped out and gently gathered his Pokémon up. Gently placing him in a corner of the battle box he said, "you did awesome buddy, thank you."

Riolu cracked an eye open and gave him a weak smile.

Ash smiled back and stood to resume the battle. "Wartortle to the battlefront!" The Poké ball soared through the air and burst open. Wartortle landed on the ground and glared up at Druddigon.

"Tortle, tor wartortle," he said angrily at the dragon type.

"Druddigon!" it roared in replied.

"Let's go Wartortle, use Ice Beam!" Ash ordered.

"Tortle!" he nodded and took a deep breath, forming an orb of icy energy before his maw and launching a beam straight at Druddigon.

"Look out!" Steven called, but Druddigon was too slow to dodge. It cried out in pain from the Ice type attack.

"Quick Druddigon, use Draco Meteor!" Steven ordered.

"Druddigon!" An orange aura formed around Druddigon's body. It opened its massive maw towards the sky and launched a white sphere of energy straight up into the air. At the height of it's arc, the ball exploded into several dozen balls that came crashing down all around the field.

"Look out!" Ash shouted.

Wartortle moved as fast as he could to dodge the attack, but that only made it worse as he ended up being hit by three consecutive shots.

"Wartortle!" Ash cried out.

When the smoke cleared, Wartortle could be seen sprawled unmoving in the middle of the field.

"Wartortle is unable to battle, Druddigon wins!" the judge announced.

Ash's dark expression was set in stone as he silently returned Wartortle. With a flick of his hand, he tossed a new Poké ball to the field, "Aerodactyl, to the battlefront!"

"Aeeeerooooo!" she screeched as she burst from the Poké ball.

"Whoa, what the..." Steven yelped, taking a step back in surprise.

"Ice Fang!" Ash ordered.

Aerodactyl reacted at once, descending on Druddigon and biting painfully down on it's arm with an ice fill maw.

"Druuuu!" the dragon cried out.

Steven shook himself to clear his mind and shouted, "Druddigon use Dragon Pulse!"

Druddigon unleashed a teal sphere of energy from its maw. It slammed point blank into Aerodactyls chest and blasted her back.

"Aeer!" she shrieked, but quickly righted herself in midair with a flap of her wings.

"Wing Attack!"

"Crunch!"

Aerodactyl's wing started glowing as she flew hard and slammed into Druddigon. The Cave Pokémon grunted in pain, but quickly took advantage of the close quarters to bite hard on Aerodactyls shoulder. She screamed in pain and quickly backed away, flapping hard.

"Ancient Power!" Ash shouted.

Aerodactyl opened her mouth wide and formed a glowing silver sphere of energy. With a screech she launched the attack; it soared through the air and slammed into Druddigon with an explosion, blasting the dragon type several feet across the field.

"Quick, follow up with Ice Fang!" Ash ordered.

Again, Aerodactyl swooped in and bit Druddigon with an ice filled maw.

"Druuuu!" it bellowed in pain from the Ice attack.

"Druddigon, use Dragon Claw!" Steven ordered.

Druddigon's claws started glowing with teal energy and it slashed at Aerodactyl. She backed away quickly, and the two Pokémon faced each other panting heavily.

"Giga Impact!"

"Hyper Beam!"

Aerodactyl flipped in midair and charged at Druddigon at full speed, a purple and gold aura of energy spiralling around it. At the same time, Druddigon opened his maw and charged a full power Hyper Beam. With a roar, it launched it; a beam of pink energy surging straight at Aerodactyl. She screeched as she impacted against the Hyper Beam, powering through it with her Giga Impact and slamming into Druddigon with a monumental explosion. The stadium shook and smoke enveloped the field.

Ash had to grab his hat as his coat flapped around him from the shockwave. He activated his aura sight to see the outcome. His face set in a mask of grim satisfaction, he waited for the smoke to clear so the judge could declare the match.

"Both Druddigon and Aerodactyl are unable to battle, this match is a draw!"

"Return Aerodactyl," Ash said, recalling his Pokémon. "You did fantastic, thank you," he whispered to the Poké ball before switching out for his next battler. "Haunter to the battlefront!"

"Let's go Eelektross!"

Two Poké balls flew into the air and burst open to release one ghost/poison type and one electric type.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Haunter brought his hands together and formed a purple sphere of shadow energy, launching it at Eelektross. At the same time Eelektross launched a powerful bolt of electricity at Haunter.

The two attacks passed each other in midair and continued on to slam into their targets. Eelektross yelped as the Shadow Ball hit, and Haunter yelled in pain as Eelektross' electricity coursed through him.

"Shadow Punch!" Ash ordered.

Haunter threw a punch at Eelektross. His fist rushed across the field and slammed into the side, eliciting a cry of pain from the electric type.

"Quick Eelektross, use Wild Charge," Steven shouted.

Eelektross body was enveloped in an electric aura. It surged across the field, moving surprisingly quickly for its shape.

"Dodge," Ash snapped out.

"Hau!" Haunted turned invisible, vanishing from sight just before Eelektross would have hit him. The aura faded from its body and I looked around in confusion.

"You can't hide forever Ash," Steven called.

"Don't plan to," Ash responded, "Hypnosis!"

Haunter appeared right in front of Eelektross and stared into its eyes as his own began glowing red. Eelektross' eyes began to droop and it slumped to the ground, asleep.

"No, Eelektross wake up!" Steven yelled.

"Now Dream Eater!" Ash called.

Haunter released a shadowy copy of himself which proceeded to fly straight through Eelektross' body. The Ele Fish Pokémon cried out in pain as its energy was drained and snapped back into wakefulness.

"Quick use Thunderbolt!" Steven called.

Eelektross quickly unleashed its attack, electricity surging from its body and slamming into Haunter.

"Hauuuun!" he cried out in pain.

"Shadow Ball!" Ash shouted.

Grimacing through the pain, Haunter formed a Shadow Ball and lobbed it at Eelektross. It slammed into the electric types chest with an explosion, drawing a cry of pain from it.

"Thunderbolt again!" Steven cried.

"Night Shade!" Ash responded.

Both Pokémon launched their attacks at the same time. The two streams of energy, one yellow electricity, one purple ghost energy, met in the middle of the field. The energies mixed together, creating a rapidly growing sphere of conflicting power before they exploded. The stadium shook from the energy of the explosion which caught both pokémon in it's blast radius.

"Hauuu!"

"Eeeeeel!"

A cloud of smoke and dust enveloped the field, but quickly cleared away with a gust of wind. Both Pokémon were lying unmoving on the field.

"Haunter and Eelektross are unable to battle, the match is a draw!" the judge announced.

"Haunter return/Return Eelektross!"

Both Pokémon were recalled to their Poké balls.

"You did awesome, thanks Haunter," Ash whispered, "Don't worry, we can still win."

Switching out Poké balls he threw his last out to the field at the same time as Steven. "Let's go Watchog/Scyther to the battlefront!"

Both Pokémon appeared on the field and glared heavily at each other, ready for their rematch.

"Watchog, use Hyper Fang!" Steven shouted, claiming the first move.

Watchog's fangs started glowing and grew to twice their length as it raced at Scyther.

"Agility," Ash called.

"Scy!" Scyther vanished in a burst of speed just before Watchog could bite down on him.

"Now X-scissor," Ash said.

Scyther reappeared behind Watchog, his attack already charged, and slashed at it's exposed back.

"Waaatch!"

"Watchog!" Steven shouted with worry as his Pokémon stumbled painfully, "come on buddy. Use Confuse Ray!"

"Chog," he said, turning to glare at Scyther. Several glowing golden orbs formed into being around Watchog and launched themselves at Scyther. They flew around him before exploding in bright flashes.

"Scyther!" he cried out in distress.

"Scyther!" Ash called out, "Are you alright?"

"Scy scy," Scyther stumbled around in confusion. He raised his arm and the blade started glowing with red energy; a Fury Cutter attack. With a wild cry, he slashed at himself.

"Scyther no!" Ash cried.

"Ha ha," Steven said triumphantly, "Watchog use Thunderbolt!"

"Watchog!" the Lookout Pokémon generated a yellow aura around itself before launching a powerful bolt of electricity at Scyther. It impacted and Scyther cried out in pain.

"Scyther, use Slash!" Ash called desperately.

Scyther did as told, only to the wrong target. He cried out in pain as his blades cut on his own skin.

"Thunderbolt again!" Steven shouted.

Again Watchog launched its attack at Scyther. He cried out in pain as the attack hit, and when it ended he stood panting heavily. However, when he looked up his gaze was clear.

"Alright, Scyther use Brick Break!" Ash said happily.

"Scy!" Scyther charged at Watchog, his arm held high and glowing with fighting energy. Watchog tried to dodge but was too slow and it cried out as the attack connected.

"Use Thunderbolt again Watchog!" Steven called.

"Oh no you don't, Agility!" Ash countered.

Watchog launched its attack for a third time, it surged through the air and right where Scyther once stood.

"Now Brick Break again!" Ash ordered.

Scyther reappeared on Watchog's left and slashed, landing a powerful blow on it's arm.

"Chooog!" it cried out.

"Confuse Ray!" Steven cried.

Watchog formed several orbs of glowing golden energy and launched them at Scyther.

"Agility again!" Ash ordered.

Scyther vanished again, dodging the attack.

"Now X-scissor!" Ash called.

Scyther appeared right in front of Watchog. His arms were crossed in an x-shape and they were glowing with purple/blue energy. He slashed and Watchog screamed as it was blasted back.

"Now finish it with Bug Buzz!" Ash shouted.

Scyther's wings started vibrating at high speed, releasing red sound waves that surged across the field. Watchog cried out in pain from the attack before collapsing in a dead faint.

"Watchog is unable to battle, Scyther wins," the judge announced, "the winner of the match is Ash of Pallet Town!"

The crowd roared.

Ash ran out and grabbed Scyther in a hug, "We did it!"

"Scyther scy!" he cried in agreement. He hugged Ash back, being careful to keep his scythes turned away from his trainer.

Standing back up, Ash turned and walked over to Steven who was holding his Watchog.

"Is he alright?" Ash asked.

Looking up, Steven gave a sad smile, "Yeah, nothing a stay with Nurse Joy won't fix."

Returning Watchog, Steven stood and faced Ash fully. "That was a good match, you beat me fair and square, congratulations."

"Thanks, I had fun," Ash responded, "You're still a really good trainer, keep aiming for the top and you might beat me again one day."

Steven laughed, "Will do." He stuck out his hand and Ash shook it. The crowd roared louder at the show of sportsmanship.

* * *

"Great job Ash," Misty said as soon as she saw him, "I knew you could win."

"Thanks Misty," Ash said, giving her a hug, "Now I just have to beat Cynthia."

"That's not going to be easy Ash," Brock said, clapping him on the back, "You did well out there, but what I've seen of Cynthia's match's she's no easy opponent."

"Don't forget," Misty said, "She still has to win her own semi-final match. It's starting right now so let's go watch."

Ash hurried to the Pokémon center to drop off his exhausted team then raced up to the seats that Brock and Misty had been keeping saved. Ash sat in the seat Togepi usually occupied while the Spike Ball Pokémon rested contentedly in Misty's lap. Riolu sat on Ash's lap and Pikachu occupied Misty's shoulder.

The battle was already going on and Cynthia's opponent was good to say the least. Ash suspected that he could have thrashed Steven, and that was Ash's toughest battle yet. Cynthia was holding her own very well however, and tended to overpower her opponent at different times. Ash was sure that she would win this battle.

As the two competitors fought, Ash analyzed Cynthia's strategy.

As the battle drew to a close, Ash went to the Pokémon Center to make a few transfers.

* * *

"This finals match between Ash of Pallet Town and Cynthia of Celestic Town is about to begin. Both trainers are allowed six Pokémon, with substitutions allowed. The match will be over when all Pokémon on one side are declared unable to battle. Trainers, release your Pokémon."

"Spiritomb, battle dance!"

"Scyther, to the battlefront!"

In dual bursts of light, both Pokémon appeared on the field. They glared at each other, ready for battle.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Spiritomb use Dark Pulse!" Cynthia called immediately.

"Protect!" Ash countered.

Spiritomb launched it's attack, a beam of gyrating dark rings that surged across the field and slammed into the green forcefield that sprung up into being around Scyther.

"Now X-Scissor!" Ash called.

"Scy!" Scyther surged across the field, his arms crossed together as they started glowing with blue/purple energy. He slashed at Spiritomb, drawing a cry of pain from the ghost/dark type.

"Dark Pulse!" Cynthia snapped.

"Tomb!" Before Scyther had a chance to back off, Spiritomb one again launched its Dark Pulse and blasted Scyther clear across the field.

"Now finish it with Hyper Beam," Cynthia ordered calmly.

"Spiritomb!" It launched a powerful beam of orange/pink energy that raced across the field and slammed into Scyther with an explosion.

"No!" Ash cried out.

When the smoke cleared, Scyther was revealed to be unconscious.

"Scyther is unable to battle, Spiritomb wins!" the judge announced.

"Return," Ash said quietly, recalling his Pokémon, "Thanks Scyther, you were awesome."

Returning the Poké ball to his belt he turned to Riolu. "Le'ts go!"

"Ri," Riolu leaped out to the field.

"Foresight!" Ash ordered.

"Riolu!" Riolu's eyes started glowing red and they launched a beam of energy that surged across the field and washed over Spiritomb, forcing it to stay solid.

"Now Force Palm!" Ash ordered.

Riolu dashed at Spiritomb, his palm glowing with energy. Before the Forbidden Pokémon even realized it, Riolu was right on top of it; his palm was pressed against its ectoplasmic body and it ignited, blasting Spiritomb away.

"Use Shockwave," Cynthia ordered.

Spiritomb quickly righted itself and erupted with electricity, sending a bolt straight at Riolu. It slammed into him, drawing a cry of pain.

"Riolu, quick use Aura Sphere," Ash called.

Ri," Riolu said, forming an orb of pure aura and lobbing it at Spiritomb. It impacted against it and exploded.

"Tooomb!" It cried out painfully.

"Dark Pulse!" Cynthia said.

"Spi!" It shouted, unleashing a stream of gyrating purple rings.

"Protect!" Ash snapped.

Riolu brought his paws up and formed a green barrier before himself. The Dark Pulse reflected off harmlessly.

"Now Aura Sphere again!" Ash called.

"Rio!" He shouted, launching yet another Aura Sphere, which exploded against Spiritomb.

"Spiriiii!" It cried as it collapsed, having taken too much damage.

"Destiny Bond!" Cynthia shouted.

A purple glow enveloped Spiritomb's body. Then, an identical glow enveloped Riolu and he cried out before fainting on the spot.

"No Riolu!" Ash cried.

"Both Spiritomb and Riolu are unable to battle," the judge announced.

Ash ran out and scooped up his starter. He stared narrow-eyed at Cynthia. "That was low," he murmured.

Returning to his battle box he placed Riolu gently in a corner to rest and grabbed his next Poké ball.

"Gastrodon, battle dance!"

"Jolteon to the battlefront!"

"Gastrodon, use Muddy Water!"

"Don!" It said, unleashing a wave of dark brown water. It surged across the field and slammed into Jolteon, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Jolteon, use Pin Missile, quick!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon quickly recovered and launched a deluge of sharp needles at Gastrodon from his spiky coat. They impacted painfully against Gastrodon's body, causing it to cry out in pain.

"Water Pulse," Cynthia called.

"Gaaaa!" Gastrodon formed a blue orb of compressed water and launched it at Jolteon.

"Agility!" Ash snapped.

Jolteon vanished in a burst of speed, and the Water Pulse passed harmlessly where he once stood.

"Now use Shadow Ball!" Ash called.

Jolteon reappeared on Gastrodon's left.

"Earthquake!' Cynthia shouted.

Just as Jolteon unleashed his Shadow Ball, Gastrodon rated back and slammed into the ground unleashing a shockwave that shook the stadium. Both Pokémon cried out in pain from the respective attacks.

Jolteon was panting heavily, but still standing after all the super effective attacks.

"Quick, use Iron Tail!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon leapt into the air as his tail took on a metallic sheen. He flipped in midair and brought his tail down on Gastrodon's head, causing it to cry out in pain.

"Use Muddy Water again!" Cynthia ordered.

Gastrodon reacted immediately, unleashing a wave of mud that crashed into Jolteon and slammed him into the stadium wall. He slid down and slumped.

"Jolteon is unable to battle, Gastrodon wins," the judge announced.

"Return Jolteon," Ash called, recalling his Pokémon. "You did awesome, thanks buddy. Dragonair, to the battlefront!"

He threw his next Poké ball and Dragonair burst free. "Aaaair!" He called as he appeared.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair formed a teal sphere of energy and launched it at Gastrodon. It impacted against it's chest with an explosion, drawing a cry of pain. "Doooon!"

"Ice Beam!" Cynthia quickly ordered.

Gastrodon fired the beam of icy energy energy at Dragonair.

"Agility!"

In a burst of speed Dragonair vanished, dodging the attack.

"Finish it with Dragon Rush!"

Dragonair appeared high above Gastrodon and flew straight down on it as a dragon shaped aura of energy surrounded him. He impacted with an explosion, rocking the field and kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke. When it cleared, Gastrodon was revealed to be unconscious.

"Gastrodon is unable to battle, Dragonair wins!"

Cynthia returned her Gastrodon and switched out Poké balls.

"Roserade, battle dance!"

With a burst of light, Cynthia's grass/poison type appeared on the field.

"Sunny Day!" She ordered.

"Roserade!" It called, launching an orange beam of energy into the air. Instantly the sunlight intensified, glaring down at the field.

"Thank you," Ash said, "flamethrower!"

"No!' Cynthia yelped.

Dragonair unleashed a super powered Flamethrower down on Roserade. It impacted with an explosion, and when the smoke cleared Roserade was panting and heavily singed.

"Quick, use Solar Beam!" Cynthia ordered.

Instantly Roserade launched a beam of concentrated sunlight towards Dragonair.

"Dodge!" Ash shouted, "Agility!"

Again, Dragonair vanished in a burst of speed, easily dodging the Solar Beam. He reappeared right behind Roserade, and without waiting for Ash's order launched a second super powered Flamethrower at the Bouquet Pokémon.

"Rooooose!" it cried out as the flames washed over it. When the attack was over, Roserade lay on the ground unmoving.

"Roserade is unable to battle, Dragonair is the winner!"

"Return Roserade," Cynthia called, "Togekiss battle dance!"

She threw her second Poké ball, and out burst a large avian Pokémon that flew in a large circle before elegantly alighting on the field. Ash and Cynthia stared at one another for several minutes. Then.

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Aura Sphere!"

Both Pokémon launched their respective attacks. They surged across the field and met in the middle, detonating with a large explosion that buffeted both trainers and Pokémon alike.

"Iron Tail!" Ash called.

Dragonair's tail took on a metallic glow as he rushed at Togekiss, bringing his tail around to hit it.

"Dodge and use Air Slash!"

Togekiss instantly took to the air. Dragonair's tail came down and slammed into the dirt where Togekiss once stood. High above the field Togekiss formed a sphere of compressed flying energy and launched it at Dragonair. It impacted against the dragon's back and exploded, drawing a cry of pain from Dragonair.

"Use Thunder Wave!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair released a wave of electricity that poured over Togekiss, paralyzing it.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Ash called.

"Togekiss try to dodge!" Cynthia called.

The paralysis kept Togekiss frozen in midair as Dragonair whipped his tail around and nailed it with a powerful Iron Tail. Togekiss cried out in pain as it was blasted to the ground by the force of the hit.

Suddenly, the stadium darkened as the Sunny Day faded.

"Use Aura Sphere!" Cynthia called.

Togekiss stood and formed an Aura Sphere to launch, however the paralysis kicked in again and froze it in place. The half formed Aura Sphere dissipated.

"Finish it with Dragon Rush!" Ash ordered.

A teal draconic shaped aura enveloped Dragonair as he charged at Togekiss. He impacted with an explosion that shook the field, enveloping the whole thing in smoke and dust. When it dissipated Togekiss was lying unmoving beneath Dragonair.

"Togekiss is unable to battle, Dragonair wins!" the referee announced.

Cynthia pulled out Togekiss' Poké ball and recalled her Pokémon. Replacing the Poké ball she threw out a new one, "Glaceon, battle dance."

The ball burst open and released Glaceon to the field.

"Ice Beam!" Cynthia shouted.

"Agility!" Ash countered.

Glaceon launched a beam of icy energy at Dragonair. However, before it could hit Dragonair vanished in a burst of speed.

"Now Flamethrower!" Ash called.

Dragonair appeared just to Glaceon's left and launched a gout of powerful flames. They washed over Glaceon, drawing a cry of pain from the Ice type.

"Glaceon!" Cynthia shouted, "Quick use Hail!"

"Gla!" Glaceon shouted. A light blue glow enveloped it and thick clouds formed overhead. Hail started falling down.

"Now Ice Beam!" Cynthia called.

Glaceon launched another beam of icy energy at Dragonair. Distracted by the hail falling around him Dragonair had no chance to dodge before he was struck.

"Aaaaaaair!" He yelled in pain.

"Dragonair!" Ash cried out, "Are you alright?

Dragonair, panting, straightened in midair and glared fiercely at Glaceon.

"Quick use Flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair reared back and launched the flamethrower. Glaceon however had melded into the hail storm and vanished from view, and the flamethrower hit nothing.

"Blizzard!" Cynthia shouted.

A virtual explosion of ice and snow erupted from the left and crashed into Dragonair. He cried out in pain, flailing under the onslaught. Finally he succumbed and crashed to the ground, unconscious.

"Dragonair is unable to battle, Glaceon wins."

Ash sighed, pulling out Dragonair's Poké ball and returning him. "You did awesome Dragonair, take a break now." He switched balls. "Charizard to the battlefront!"

He threw the ball and Charizard burst free with a ground shaking roar. He landed on the field, and immediately winced as the hail began draining his energy.

"Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

Charizard looked around, spotting Glaceon on the far side of the field. Opening his maw he unleashed a massive wave of flames at it. Glaceon however was too quick, darting around the attack.

"Iron tail Glaceon!" Cynthia called.

Suddenly Glaceon was right in front of Charizard, its tail glowing with a metallic sheen. It leapt into the air, performing a perfect somersault and slamming her tail into Charizards skull.

"Chaaaar!" He cried out in pain.

"Charizard, use Sunny Day!" Ash shouted.

Charizard roared, launching an orb of orange energy into the sky. The hail cleared away instantly, to be replaced by bright sunlight.

Cynthia gasped, needing to shield her eyes from the bright rays, and Glaceon fared no better. Ash just pulled his hat lower over his face and shouted, "Fire Blast!"

Charizard roared and unleashed a blast of flames in the shape of a five-point star. It surged across the field and impacted against Glaceon with an explosion. A breeze quickly blew the smoke away, revealing Glaceon to be unconscious.

"Glaceon is unable to battle, Charizard wins!"

"Return Glaceon," Cynthia called. She put the ball away and pulled her sixth and final Poké ball. "Gabite, battledance!"

The Poké ball burst open and released Cynthia's dragon type to the field.

"Gabite, use Dragon Claw!"

"Charizard, use Metal Claw!"

Both Pokémon charged their respective attacks and raced at each other, slashing wildly at the other.

"Crunch!" Cynthia shouted.

Gabite bit down hard on Charizard's shoulder, drawing a cry of pain from the fire type.

"Fire Fang Charizard!"

Flames ignited in Charizard's maw and he chomped on Gabite's arm.

"Gaaa!" she cried out.

"Slash!" Cynthia cried.

Gabite's claw started glowing and she slashed at Charizard, blasting him back and away from her.

"Now Stone Edge!" Cynthia shouted.

"Use Steel Wing to defend yourself!" Ash called.

Charizard tried to bring his wings before himself for protection, but Gabite was too fast. She roared, launching multiple sharp rocks at Charizard.

"Chaaaaar!" He cried out as the super effective attack hit him.

"Charizard!" Ash shouted, "Quick, use Flare Blitz!"

"Finish this with Dragon Rush!" Cynthia responded.

Both Pokémon became enveloped in their types respective energies and charged at one another. They met in the center of the field with a monumental explosion.

Ash gripped tightly to his hat as a shock wave exploded across the field, kicking up dust and threatening to knock him off his feet.

When the air cleared, both Charizard and Gabite stood panting, facing each other. Then, suddenly the recoil kicked in on Charizard and he collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

"No, Charizard!" Ash cried.

"Charizard is unable to battle, Gabite wins!" The judge announced, raising his flag.

Quietly Ash returned Charizard. "You did awesome buddy, thank you." He whispered to the Poké ball. He took a moment to study Gabite. She had certainly taken damage, but was still fit for battle. He knew that the battle with Charizard could have lasted longer if he hadn't taken all that monumental damage from the Stone Edge. He now had only one hope to win this battle.

"Pidgeot, to the battlefront!" He threw the Poké ball and it burst open to release his loyal flying type to the field. She formed from the ball already flapping her wings and she soared across the field.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash called.

Pidgeot sped up as white energy enveloped her and crashed painfully into Gabite.

"Stone Edge!" Cynthia ordered again.

"Gaaa!" Gabite cried, launching multiple sharp stone projectiles at Pidgeot.

"Steel Wing!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot's wings took on a metallic sheen and she brought them before herself, shielding from the attack. The Stone Edge impacted against the wings and bounced off, doing little damage. When it ended, Pidgeot unfolded her wings and soared down, bashing into Gabite with her metallic wings and knocking her off her feet.

"Dragon Claw!" Cynthia ordered.

Gabite leapt back to her feet and launched herself into the air. Her talon gained a teal glow to it and she slashed across Pidgeot's chest.

"Pidgeoooo!" She cried out in pain.

"Quick use Twister!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot flapped her wings hard, creating a tornado before her that surged across the field at Gabite.

"Dragon Rage!" Cynthia countered.

Gabite launched a beam of teal draconic shaped energy. It slammed into the Twister and they both exploded.

"Flamethrower!"

Gabite took a deep breath and launched a blast of flames into the air. It surged up and slammed into Pidgeot's chest, drawing a cry of pain from her.

"Use Hurricane!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot's wings started glowing with light blue energy and she flapped them hard. A gale wind quickly formed and cascaded down to crash into Gabite. The Cave Pokémon cried out in pain as the flying type energy swept around her in the wind.

"Outrage." Cynthia's voice was calm and emotionless. She didn't shout, and Ash almost didn't hear the single command. Gabite however heard it perfectly.

Her eyes took on a red glow and she screeched out a savage cry.

"Gaaabiiiite!"

Ash's eyes widened as he recognized the attack. "Pidgeot lookout!" He cried desperately.

Ignoring the wind pounding down on her, Gabite leapt into the air and slammed hard into Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot squeaked as she cut off her attack.

Gabite grabbed onto Pidgeot's leg and twisted in midair, throwing Pidgeot straight down where she slammed into the ground. Gabite followed a moment later and slammed into her, where she began mercilessly kicking, slashing, punching, and biting down on Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot!" Ash cried out as she was beaten.

Soon however it was over and Gabite stumbled back in confusion. Pidgeot lay unmoving on the ground, aside from the slight rise and fall of her breath.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle, Gabite wins," the judge announced, he lifted his flag and pointed it towards Cynthia, "The victor is Cynthia!"

The crowd roared.

"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS!" The MC shouted, startling Ash since he tended to tune the annoying commenting out during the battles, "WE HAVE THE WINNER OF THE INDIGO LEAGUE TOURNAMENT, CYNTHIA SHIRONA!"

Ash smiled sadly as he returned his Pokemon, murmuring words of thanks to her. He walked out to the middle of the field and met Cynthia in the middle.

"Congratulations," Ash said, holding out his hand, "If I had to lose to anyone I'm glad it was you."

Cynthia smiled as she took his hand, "Thank you Ash, that means a lot. You are definitely one of the toughest opponents I've faced here."

"Thanks," he said, "good luck challenging the Sinnoh League."

She nodded. They turned and waved to the crowd who roared in approval.

* * *

Ash stood on the second place platform next to Cynthia. It was dusk as the closing ceremony for the Indigo League began.

"THE POKEMON LEAGUE NOW BIDS FAREWELL TO ALL OF THE TRAINERS AND POKEMON WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION. LETS SHOW ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS JUST HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS THEY ENTER THE STADIUM ONE LAST TIME."

As the MC said this, all of the competitors started marching into the stadium, walking next to their signature Pokémon. The crowd roared their approval as they made a circuit around the stadium before lining up in front of a raised podium that held the top three trainers as well as Pokémon league President Goodshow.

"LEAGUE PRESIDENT GOODSHOW WILL NOW PRESENT EACH TRAINER WITH A COMMEMORATIVE BADGE. WEAR IT WITH PRIDE TRAINERS AS A SYMBOL OF EXCELLENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT."

Each of the trainers walked up to the podium and accepted one of the badges from President Goodshow. Once the last trainer had come up and received their badge, a spotlight lit up the top three trainers. Ash squinted in the light as his eyes adjusted.

"AND HERE NOW ARE THE TOP RANKING TRAINERS OF THIS POKEMON LEAGUE COMPETITION. PLEASE JOIN US IN SALUTING THEM ALONG WITH THEIR POKEMON ALONG WITH THEIR SKILL AND DEDICATION TO THE IDEALS OF THE POKEMON LEAGUE."

Again the crowd roared as Ash waved from his spot.

"PRESIDENT GOODSHOW WILL NOW PRESENT THE TOP THREE TRAINERS WITH THEIR AWARDS."

President Charles Goodshow walked up to the podium followed by three aides, each holding a trophy. After presenting the trophy to the third place winner, Goodshow stepped up to Ash.

"Congratulations Ash," he said, "You completely surpassed my expectations. Very well done. Here is your trophy for second place."

Ash smiled and took the trophy, "Thank you Mr. Goodshow, that means a lot."

Mr. Goodshow nodded and moved on to give Cynthia her Trophy. "Well done young lady, this is your second league I believe?"

"Yes sir," she said.

"Hmm, very well done indeed, Congratulations on winning the Indigo League. In honor of your achievement I give you the Indigo Trophy."

Cynthia smiled winningly, taking the trophy and holding it above her head. The crowd roared and the MC had to shout into the microphone to be heard.

"AND NOW AS THIS POKEMON LEAGUE DRAWS TO AN END, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO A VERY SPECIAL CELEBRATION IN THE SKY!"

All of the lights went out and fireworks lit up the night sky. Ash smiled in awe as he gazed at the fireworks.

* * *

Ash and Cynthia met one last time the next morning before it was time for them to leave.

"Here," Ash said, handing Cynthia a slip of paper, "My Pokénav number."

Cynthia smiled. She quickly typed the number into her Pokétch and sent him a message. He pulled out his Pokénav and saw that she'd sent him her number.

"Call me sometime," Cynthia said, "Maybe we can meet up again."

"I will," Ash promised, "it sounds like fun. It's been great meeting you Cynthia."

"And you Ash," Cynthia said, "I had fun, and I enjoyed our battle just as much."

They shared another hug and Cynthia pressed another kiss into his cheek, "I'll miss you," she said.

"I'll miss you too," Ash said softly, squeezing her tightly for a moment before he let go. A small blush was evident on his face but he didn't care.

Cynthia gave him a smile that caused his heart to skip a beat before turning and walking away. He watched her leave before turning away himself and going to join his friends. He noticed Misty was speaking to Ritchie, and smiled to himself at the light blush on her cheeks.

The Indigo League was over, it was time to go home.

* * *

 **Thus ends Chapter 16 and wraps up the Indigo Tournament in a nice little bow. I'm sorry for those of you who wanted Ash to win, but I just couldn't let him win his first tournament. Even Cynthia is on her second, after loosing in Sinnoh.**

 **A very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and a Happy Holidays to everyone else!**

 **dragonwolf12**


	17. Chapter 17

"I can't decide where to go next," Ash said with a sigh, "There's a league in most of the Regions in the world and they all look so cool. What about you guys, do you have any ideas?"

"Not a one," Misty sighed.

"It doesn't much matter to me," Brock said.

Ash rolled his eyes, "Great, lot of help you guys are."

"Well, let's go ask Professor Oak," Misty suggested, "he might have an idea."

* * *

"I'm afraid I can't help you Ash," Sam said, "I don't want to influence you in any way."

Ash sighed, "Well, thanks anyway."

"However, I do have an errand I was hoping you would run for me."

Ash perked up.

"I'd like you to go and collect a special Poké ball from my colleague Professor Ivy on Valencia Island in the Orange Archipelago."

"An Island?" Ash repeated.

"Yes," Sam said, "And while I would like to see this Poké ball as quickly as possible, I wouldn't be averse to waiting while you competed in the Orange Island League."

"A league? A Pokémon League?" Ash asked.

"Yes, though an unusual one," Sam elaborated, "It has four gyms that you must challenge before you can challenge the Orange League Champion Drake. There's no competition or elite four to go through either. And the gyms themselves are rather different, instead of beating the Gym Leader at a battle, one must succeed in different challenges set forth by the leader."

"What kind of challenges?" Ash asked.

Oak shrugged, "It's different for each gym leader, but they are all designed to test a trainer's resolve and training ability."

"That sounds kinda fun," Ash said, "Alright I'll do it. Thanks Sam!"

"Good luck Ash," Sam shouted after him as he ran out of the house, "And don't forget to get that Poké ball for me!"

* * *

"An Island," Misty said in delight, "That sounds wonderful. Sandy beaches and blue surf."

"And all of the beautiful girls," Brock said dreamily.

Ash rolled his eyes at his obsessed friend. "With my winnings in the League, I can afford to get us tickets to Valencia Island, then I figure Dragonair can ferry the three of us from Island to Island."

"That sounds like fun," Misty said excitedly.

"Then let's go!" Brock said.

* * *

It took two days for the group to walk to the nearest airfield, and a further day for the trip across the sky to Valencia Island. When they arrived, they started walking along the road in search of Professor Ivy's lab.

"Man it's hot out," Ash panted, removing his hat and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Well maybe if you change out of those heavy clothes," Misty said, giving him a gimlet eye.

"Maybe if I had something to change into," Ash sniped back.

"Well, there's a Pokémart," Brock said, pointing, "You can get a new outfit in their clothing section. And we can get directions to Professor Ivy's lab. In fact maybe we should all get some new clothes."

"Sounds good," Ash said.

Fifteen minutes he stepped out of the changing room wearing a brand new outfit. He had on a pair of blue board shorts, a black muscle shirt underneath a sky blue lightweight button up collared shirt he'd left hanging open, and a pair of comfortable hiking sandals. He'd forgone his usual hat for a pair of good sunglasses, and replaced his backpack with a large sling pack.

"What do you think Riolu?" Ash asked, striking a pose in front of his Pokémon.

"Rio!" he said happily, nodding his agreement.

"Yeah I think so to," Ash said.

The door next to him opened and Brock stepped out wearing a green hawaiian shirt and a pair of brown cargo shorts with Teva's on his feet.

"Nice," Ash complimented.

"Thanks, not so bad yourself," Brock said.

"Now we just need to wait for Misty," Ash said.

"Here I am!"

Ash turned and his eyes popped open in surprise. Next to him, Brock's mouth dropped open.

Misty was wearing a yellow long sport bra that stopped just short of her belly button and a pair of waist length running shorts. She had her small red back slung over her shoulder, a pair of flip flops on her feet, Togepi wrapped in her arms, and her Pikachu sitting happily on her shoulder.

"Wow Misty, you look amazing," Ash said.

"Thanks," she said with a giggle.

They paid for their purchases and got directions to Professor Ivy's laboratory. They arrived after about fifteen minutes and entered the white building. "Hello! Professor Ivy!" Ash called out.

"Is anyone here?" Misty shouted.

There was a moment of silence; then Riolu, who had been standing in front of the group with Pikachu, grabbed the electric type and leapt back. The floor immediately underneath where they'd been standing burst open to reveal a trapdoor. Three identical faces poked up out of the hole.

"Hi there," the first said.

"Who are you?" the second asked.

"Why are you here?" the third asked.

They were each identical in every way from their eyes to their voices; the only difference between them was choice in clothing and hair style.

"Uh," Brock began, "Hi there."

"We were sent to pick up a package for Professor Samuel Oak," Ash explained, "Professor Ivy should be expecting us."

"If you want the Professor," the first began.

"She's in the bay," the second continued.

"Working with the Pokémon," the third added.

"We'll take you to her right now!" All three finished in disturbing unison.

Ash, Brock, and Misty laughed awkwardly, exchanging wide-eyed looks.

The triplets lead the three of them out to the beach below the lab.

"It's so beautiful out here," Misty said with delight.

"Ri."

"Pika."

"I think they agree," Ash said with a laugh.

Suddenly the water out in the ocean exploded upward as a massive Gyarados erupted out.

"Gaaah!" Brock and Misty shouted. Ash stepped back in shock, but then he spotted the woman out with it. She was petting and cuddling with the massive Pokémon.

"Wow," Misty said, "That's amazing."

Brock had gone completely gaga at the sight of her. "I wish she'd train me," he whimpered.

"Professor!" one triplet shouted.

"Three friends of Professor Oak's are here to.."

"See you!" the third triplet finished.

The woman turned in their direction, before climbing on board her Gyarados' back. The Atrocious Pokémon rushed through the water in their direction and let the woman launch off of it's back.

One of the triplets threw a lab coat to her and she caught it in midair, landing with it snug over her shoulders. "Nice to meet you, I'm Professor Ivy."

Misty stared in amazement. Brock gaped at her, drool leaking from his mouth. Ash smiled at her theatrics and held out his hand, "I'm Ash Ketchum, I'm a field researcher for Professor Oak, and this is Brock and Misty. We came for the Poké ball."

"Of course, right this way," Professor Ivy said.

She lead them back up to her lab and to a room in the back. Sitting in a glass container sat a gold and silver Poké ball. "Well, there it is," she said.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like that before," Misty said.

"Pika," her Pikachu turned away, not interested in the sight of a Poké ball of any color.

"Why is it colored like that Professor?" Brock asked.

"I'm afraid we haven't been able to discover that," Ivy said sadly, "or much else about it at all."

"What's that writing?" Ash asked, squinting at the ball.

"If you look closely, you can see that it says 'GS'," Ivy explained, "so we decided to call it a GS ball."

"Why did you need us to pick it up?" Brock asked, "Couldn't you have just transported it?"

"Perhaps a demonstration, Hope?" Ivy asked one of the triplets.

Hope pressed a button on the console next to the ball. Instantly a transporter beam erupted from above it and enveloped the ball. However, when it faded the ball was still there.

"It didn't work," Misty said in surprise.

"No, I'm afraid not," Ivy said, "Naturally we've tried to open it. We've tried Buzz saws, hammers, crowbars, hack saws, power drills, and lasers. We've tried everything but this Poké ball has us stumped." She walked over and opened the case, picking the ball up and offering it to Ash. "I wish I could have uncovered its secrets myself, but if anyone can solve its mysteries your friend Professor Oak can. Make sure you get it to him safely."

"I will," Ash said, taking the ball and tucking it into his pack.

"Excellent, now that that's done, how would you three like a tour of the lab?" Ivy asked.

"That would be great," Brock said.

"Wonderful," Ivy said happily, "Let's go outside."

* * *

"All of this is part of your lab?" Brock asked in awe as they traveled a trail through the forest behind the lab building.

"Yes, we need all of this space for the Pokémon, we breed and study so many of them" Ivy explained.

"That's impressive," Brock said.

"Awe, look at all of these giant flowers," Misty said, walking over to a nearby bush and sniffing it. Suddenly the flower started shaking and a large Vileplume walked out of the bush. Misty yelped and stepped back.

"Whoa," Ash said, looking at the Vileplume in awe, "Look at that coloring. But it's not shiny...is it?"

"No, shiny Pokémon are a result of a genetic deformity, such as having two different colored eyes in humans," Ivy explained, "this is something different entirely."

Before she could elaborate, two of the triplets came rushing in pushing a trolley filled with bowls of Pokémon food. "It's time for dinner!" they shouted in unison.

"I guess you make the Pokémon food yourself?" Brock questioned.

"Yes, we've created recipes for each type of Pokémon," Ivy explained, "At least the ones I have here at my lab."

Paras, Raticate, Weepinbell, and two Nidorino came running out of the forest and dug into the food. Again, each of them were colored different from their normal counterparts in the main regions.

"If they're not shiny, then what is it that makes them different?" Ash asked.

"That Ash, is the purpose of my research," she explained.

"And what are your findings Professor?" Brock asked.

"Well if you think about it, it's actually fairly obvious," she replied, "The tropical climate of this island is very different from the one where you live. The different temperature, humidity, air pressure, and plantlife naturally lead to differences in the Pokémon themselves. My area of study is how the environment affects the growth of all Pokémon."

"Does that man you've bred and raised all of the Pokemon on this island?" Brock asked in shock.

"Well obviously not all, but most of them," Ivy said, "I've dedicated myself to them and I couldn't be happier."

"Professor look," Charity said.

"Hmm?" Ivy followed her gaze up to a Butterfree hanging from a tree branch above them. "Oh dear, we've got to think of something."

"What's the matter?" Brock asked.

"Oh, this little Butterfree hasn't eaten anything in days," Ivy explained. She turned to Charity, "the different nutrients haven't worked?"

"No and we've tried five different combinations," she replied.

Ivy grabbed the clipboard and examined, "Hmm, the ingredients include all the essential nutrients. I just don't understand it."

Brock looked at the list over her shoulder, then sniffed at the food. He grabbed one of the pellets and popped it into his mouth, chewing noisily before swallowing as everyone stared at him in surprise. "I got it, I'll be right back!" he ran off into the woods.

"What just happened?" Ivy asked in confusion.

"Brock just solved your problem," Ash said, confident and proud of his breeder friend.

After a few minutes, Brock returned holding several Mago Berries. He produced a small cutting board from his backpack and sliced them up, into tiny pieces.

"What are you doing?" Faith asked.

"I've found out that when you are making Pokémon food, the most important thing to the Pokémon isn't how nutritious it is."

"Huh?" Charity said in confusion.

"They care about the taste," Brock continued, "Pokémon like food that tastes good to them. Nutrition is secondary in their opinion, so you have to work the nutrients in around good tasting food."

"Well I can understand how flavor is a factor," Ivy said, "But how can you determine which flavors each Pokémon prefer?"

"Only through experience," Brock replied, "I've noticed that bug Pokémon in general, and Butterfree specifically prefer sweeter flavors. The Pokémon you were offering it was much too dry. But if you just sprinkle in a little mago berry..." he did so, and the Butterfree immediately flew down and started eating voraciously.

All three of them gasped in surprise, "Wow," Faith and Charity said.

"That's simply amazing," Ivy said, "I'm embarrassed to call myself a researcher when you're the one who seems to know all about Pokémon feeding habits."

"Brock's a Pokémon Breeder," Ash explained, "He makes it his business to study these things. And he's the greatest, I don't think I could feed my Pokémon half as well as he has."

Brock blushed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Ah, a breeder," Ivy said contemplatively.

Faith and Charity surrounded Brock, dancing around as they begged him to teach them about Pokémon flavor preferences.

Suddenly Hope came running up, "hey come on guys, we gotta decide who gets stuck cooking dinner tonight."

* * *

"Nice place," Misty said sarcastically. Then she realized what she said and slapped her hand over her mouth.

Professor Ivy just smiled, "We got so caught up in our research that we forgot to clean the house and started calling it..."

"Our little dump!" The triplets finished happily.

' _Dumps are cleaner,'_ Ash thought.

"Ri," Riolu agreed.

Ash blinked down at Riolu. Had he...

Before he could finish that train of thought, Brock exploded.

"Floors to be swept, clothes to be washed, cooking, mopping, polishing, cleaning!" He suddenly pulled a bright pink frilly apron from somewhere and put it on, with a vacuum in one hand and a sponge in another he declared, "this is just like home! Leave it to Super Brock!"

Brock became a cleaning whirlwind as he swept through the house, simultaneously vacuuming, scrubbing, dusting, dishwashing, and cooking.

Everyone stared in shock and amazement as Brock zoomed through the house.

"Brock is a great cleaner," Ivy said.

"Polisher," Hope added.

"Vacuumer," Charity said.

"Duster," Faith added.

"He's a good cook," Misty said.

"And he works for free," Ash finished.

"Ri riolu ri ri," Riolu added.

Within half an hour Brock had the entire house sparkling clean and a feast prepared on the table.

"Lets thank Brock," Ivy said in delight.

"Later let's eat!" the triplets retorted.

They dug in noisily, eating as if they hadn't had a good meal in months, which judging by the state of their house probably wasn't too far from the truth.

"The Pokémon ate quieter than them," Ash said quietly to Misty, and she giggled.

Brock stood watching happily, a rather nostalgic look in his squinted eyes.

Ash looked up at him with a contemplative look on his face. Brock looked really happy. Ash had the strangest feeling that their time traveling together was coming to a rapid close.

* * *

The next morning, after a small adventure in the middle of the night during which Brock saved Professor Ivy from Vileplume Stun Spore, Ash and Misty were ready to go.

"Goodbye Professor, it was great meeting you," Ash said.

"Yeah, it was really fun," Misty said, "Thanks for letting us stay overnight."

"Oh it was the least I could do after everything Brock has done to help," Ivy said. "I hear you're challenging the Orange League Ash, I wish you good luck."

"Thanks Professor," Ash said.

"Hey where's Brock?" Misty asked.

Quite suddenly Steelix went slithering past them.

"What? Steelix!" Misty said in surprise. On their other side Brock went running past, still wear his pink frilly apron and carrying several planks of wood and a toolbox. Vulpix and Graveler were running in his wake.

"Come on guys," Brock said to his Pokémon.

Misty blinked, "What's he doing?"

They followed Brock outside and found him on the roof where he was hammering nails.

"Well, it looks like Brock has decided to stay here," Professor Ivy said, delight evident in her voice.

Misty gasped in surprise. Ash just shook his head, his suspicions confirmed.

Brock finished and turned to the group below him, "Okay, this roof won't leak any more!"

"That's wonderful Brock," Ivy said happily.

Brock climbed down the ladder and turned to face his friends.

"Are you really staying Brock?" Misty asked.

Brock smiled sadly, "If I stay here, I'll still get to learn all about Pokémon and become a better breeder, and I think these guys may need me a lot more than you guys do."

Ash held out his hand, "You'll do awesome Brock. I guess this is goodbye for now."

Brock clapped his hand and they shared a bro hug. "Stay safe," Brock said, "And don't forget me."

"Never," Ash said.

Misty came up and wrapped her arms tightly around Brock, "I'll miss you Brock. Take care of yourself and them." She pressed a light kiss to his cheek.

"You too Misty," Brock said.

With that, she and Ash turned and left.

* * *

Ash and Misty climbed off of Dragonair's back onto a dock at Tangelo Island. "Thanks Dragonair, take a nice rest," Ash said, recalling the Pokémon.

"Aaaaair," he replied as he vanished into the ball.

"So, now we just need to find the Tangelo Island Gym," Ash said as they started making their way down the boardwalk.

"I'm sure we can get directions at the Pokémon Center," Misty said.

A high pitch squeal suddenly drew Ash's attention. His head jerked towards the beach where three guys were surrounding a large blue shelled Pokémon. A Lapras. One of the men held a stick and was whipping Lapras as the other three yelled at it.

Ash saw red. He leapt down the small cliff and landed with a dull thud on the sand. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded loudly, "Leave that Lapras alone!"

"Who asked your opinion?" one of the guys demanded, "get lost."

"Yeah, this is none of your business."

"We don't need any brats butting in."

"When you treat Pokémon like that I make it my business," Ash growled, "Get out of here before I get really mad."

The guys advanced on Ash. They were each easily a foot taller than Ash, and each held a Poké ball in hand.

"You don't scare us, go Spearow!" the first guy shouted.

"Go Beedrill!"

"Go Hitmonchan!"

All three Pokémon appeared in burst of light and advanced on Ash.

"My friend here really doesn't like Pokémon abusers. Charizard!" Ash shouted, throwing his own Poké ball. It burst open, and Charizard appeared towering above them all, glaring murderously down at them. He unleashed a terrifying roar and sprayed a massive flamethrower into the sky.

"AAAAAGH!" They shouted in fear, recalling their Poké ball and running as fast as they could.

Ash and Charizard harrumphed in unison. "Pitiful," Ash said scathingly.

"Garah," Charizard growled in agreement.

Ash turned his attention to the Lapras. It shied away as Ash approached and he stopped immediately. He got to his knees, "I won't hurt you," he said quietly, "I'm not like those guys. I want to help you."

"Ash!" Misty shouted as she ran up, having come the long way. Ash frantically waved at her to be quiet. "Oh, sorry," she said softly.

Riolu stepped forward softly, speaking softly to Lapras. He pressed a paw to Lapras' side and sent healing waves into it's body. Lapras closed it's eyes and sighed as it's injuries began to heal. Ash quickly but quietly moved forwards and gently placed his hand next to Riolu's adding his power to the healing.

Lapras' eyes shot open and looked at him in fear. But soon it relaxed again and let them finish. When the healing was complete, Ash and Riolu sat back in exhaustion.

"Wow," a new voice said.

Ash's head shot up and saw a boy about a year older than him staring in amazement. He wore a headband that kept his long black hair out of his eyes, a teal t-shirt, a pair of burgundy shorts, and a large orange backpack.

"How did you do that?" he asked in awe.

Ash winked and tapped his nose, "That's my little secret." He got to his feet, leaving Riolu to rest some more, "I'm Ash, and this is Misty. Who are you?"

"My name is Tracy," he introduced, "I'm a Pokémon Watcher."

"A what?" Misty asked.

"A Pokémon Watcher is basically like a field researcher," Ash explained, "Except they work autonomously, not under any certain Professor. They travel the world to study Pokémon habitats, behaviors, interaction, and even search for new undiscovered Pokémon. Professor Oak was a Pokémon Watcher before he settled down to become a Professor."

"Huh, who knew?" Misty said, "So would you be a Pokémon Watcher if you weren't working for Professor Oak?"

"Maybe part time," Ash said with a shrug, "But training Pokémon is my passion. Studying Pokemon is an interesting hobby."

"You're a field researcher for Professor Oak!?" Tracy was suddenly right in Ash's face, his eyes wide with amazement and awe.

"Whoa, personal space dude," Ash said, backing away, "Yeah I am. What of it?"

"Professor Oak is my personal hero!" Tracy said, literally dancing in place.

"Really?" Misty asked, nonplussed, "Why? I mean I know he's a nice guy but..."

"Every Watcher know's Professor Oak is one of the greatest researchers on the planet!" Tracy said enthusiastically, getting right into Misty's face.

"And fondu gives him major gas," Ash countered, "He's not perfect Tracy. And he gets very uncomfortable when random strangers show up on his doorstep praising the ground he walks on."

Tracy appeared not to have heard him, because he declared, "Okay, you guys have got yourselves a new travelling buddy."

"Oh great," Ash sighed.

"If I stick with you guys, then I'll finally get the chance to meet my hero Professor Oak!" Tracy continued passionately.

"Hey, you can't just invite yourself," Misty said with annoyance.

Ash just shook his head and turned his attention back to Lapras. Now that it was feeling better, he examined it with a more careful eye. She appeared to be no more than an infant, not ready for any kind of battle for a couple of weeks. Also too young to be separated from her parents. He sighed, they were probably separated by poachers or a powerful storm.

He held his hand out to her, and she only hesitated for a moment before leaning down to touch it. He smiled, "I can't help you get back to your pod Lapras," he said, "But if you come with me I can protect you and help you get stronger. And if we come across your pod I will do everything in my power to get you back to your parents. What do you say?"

The Lapras stared at him for several long minutes. Finally, slowly, she nodded her head.

Ash smiled and pulled out a Poké ball. He tapped it gently against Lapras' side and watched as she was absorbed into the Ball and instantly captured. He pulled out his Pokédex and scanned his new Pokémon.

" **Lapras, the Transport Pokémon. Lapras enjoys carrying people on its back, and it understands what people are saying."**

 _Type: Water/Ice  
Ability: Water Absorb  
Gender: Female  
Moves: Ice Beam, Water Gun_

"Alright," Ash turned to see Misty and Tracy, "So, where to next?"

* * *

 **Alright, not a particularly long chapter, but I think it's a nice transition into the Orange Islands. See you all next week.**


	18. Chapter 18

"There's Mikan Island," Tracey said pointing up ahead, "You'll find the first gym there."

"Great, let's get going Dragonair," Ash said.

Dragonair increased his speed and soon they were arriving at the port of Mikan Island.

"Return buddy," Ash said, recalling Dragonair, "Let's get you to the Pokémon Center to recover."

As they were walking Tracey turned to Ash and asked, "Hey Ash, how did you meet Professor Oak?"

"We both live in Pallet Town," Ash explained, "he taught my mom before I was born and she stayed friends with him while I grew up."

"So that's why Professor Oak made you his field Researcher? Because of your mom?" Misty asked.

"No," Ash said, "when I was seven I went to the Professor by myself and begged him to teach me. Instead he gave me a job as his ranch helping out with his Pokémon. After I turned ten and got Riolu here he gave me a Pokénav and instructed me to send him reports of interesting finds. I only found out later when I made my seventh capture that he made me a Field Researcher without even telling me."

"Why would he do that?" Tracey asked quizzically.

Ash sighed, "His idea of a joke, his sense of humor is a little warped. I think its from all of the Pokémon attacks he gets hit by when he gets too enthusiastic with his research on a new Pokémon."

The gang stopped at the Pokémon Center where Ash got Dragonair healed before Tracey lead them to the Mikan Island Gym. The gym itself didn't seem too special, just a large red painted metal warehouse; but Ash knew that looks were deceiving.

"So what's the Mikan Gym Leader like?" Ash asked Tracey, "Have you met him or her?"

"No but I've heard a lot about her," Tracey said, "It's said that she's one of the toughest trainers in the Orange Crew."

Ash grinned, "Sounds awesome, right buddy?" he asked Riolu.

"Ri rio ri!"

As they approached the gym, a young boy stepped out in their path. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

Ash raised an eyebrow at the boy. "The Mikan Gym," he replied, "Can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, you can clear off," the boy said, "You're not strong enough to beat the Mikan Gym Leader."

"Strong enough or not, I still intend to challenge her," Ash replied.

"If you want to get in, then you'll have to get through me," the boy said, lifting a Poké ball.

"With pleasure," Ash said, reaching for a Poké ball.

"Are you starting trouble again?" a voice suddenly interrupted. Everyone turned to see a young woman who looked to be in her twenty standing there with her arms crossed sternly. Her long brown hair was tied back in a messy bun; she was wearing a black tank top, a long peach colored skirt and a pair of sneakers. "You're supposed to be cleaning your room," she said.

"Uh I a was Cissy," the boy said, scrambling, "but I ah caught this kid sneaking around!" He pointed accusingly at Ash.

Ash rolled his eyes. Focusing on the woman he said, "My name is Ash, I'm here to challenge the Mikan Gym."

"Is that so?" the woman said, a determined expression crossing her face, "Well my name is Cissy, I'm the Mikan Gym Leader and I accept your challenge!"

* * *

Ash stood with Riolu in his battle box across the field from Cissy. Behind him stood Misty, with Pikachu on her shoulder and Togepi in her arms, and Tracey with his ever present sketchpad held at the ready. He took a moment to observe his opponent. She was certainly beautiful, something that he caught Tracey admiring as well if his sketches were anything to go by. However, Ash when found himself comparing her to Cynthia in his mind he found Cissy lacking...

He shook his head to clear it and called out, "So what are the rules of your challenge?"

"In my Gym we won't be doing any battling," Cissy responded, "our match will be decided with two challenges. Hit it," she said to her brother.

The boy pulled out a large remote controller and pressed a few buttons. On the side of the gym a large rolling door slid into the floor to reveal a long table with a row of empty aluminum cans on it. He then pressed another button causing the battlefield to roll out of sight revealing a massive pool in the middle of the room.

"Seadra, I choose you!" Cissy called, throwing a Poké ball. It burst open and released the Dragon Pokémon, which landed in the water.

Ash observed the water type for a moment, his experienced eye recognizing that it was well trained.

Behind him he heard Misty pulled out her Pokédex to scan Seadra. After she read it's entry she said, "Oh so that's what Horsea will evolve into."

Cissy explained, "The first round will be a water gun challenge, whichever Pokémon can knock down the most cans wins."

Ash nodded, "Understood, Wartortle to the battlefront!" He launched his own Poké ball and released Wartortle out into the pool. He quickly squared himself off against Seadra, awaiting Ash's command.

"Easy there Wartortle," Ash said, "we're going to have a competition instead of a battle."

"Tortle?"

"You'll see in a moment," Ash said. To Cissy he said, "think you could give us a demonstration?"

"Sure, Senta?" she turned to her brother.

Senta brought a bubble wand to his lips and blew, sending several bubbles out over the pool.

"Seadra Water Gun!" Cissy ordered.

"Do doo dooo!" Seadra launched several tight Water Gun's at the floating bubbles, nailing each one in the center and popping it.

"Wow, it hit each one dead center!" Tracey said, thoroughly impressed.

Ash knelt down next to Wartortle, "You'll be aiming for those cans. You got this?"

"War tortle," he replied confidently.

Ash grinned back at him. He regularly had his Pokémon perform target practice with their various moves. So far his favorite method was to have Jolteon perform Pin Missile and the rest of his Pokémon had to shoot down as many pins as possible before they were hit. Needless to say they got good at it really quick.

"Are you ready?" Cissy asked.

"Yep," Ash said with a nod.

"Then lets go!"

"Seadra/Wartortle, use Water Gun!" Cissy and Ash shouted in unison.

Both Pokémon reacted at once, launching tight controlled Water Guns, one after another, straight at the cans. One by one the cans were knocked from the table, the quiet ring of aluminum hitting the ground filling the room. In perfect unison, both Pokémon launched a final Water Gun and knocked the last two cans to the ground.

"Awesome job Wartortle," Ash said proudly.

"Tortle!" he agreed.

"Not to bad," Cissy said in amusement, "now we'll try moving targets."

Senta hit another button on his controller and a large window opened on the side of the building. Through the window they could see part of the beach, the crashing ocean, blue sky and the occasional cloud.

"Are you ready Seadra?" Cissy asked.

"Doo doo," Seadra nodded.

"Here it comes," Senta said.

Ash heard a motor rumble to life and suddenly a clay target went flying across the sky. Seadra reacted immediately, launching a water gun and nailing the target right in the center. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the debris raining down onto the beach below.

"Now Triple!" Cissy ordered.

The launcher activated again, this time launching three targets at once. Seadra leapt out of the pool and launched three rapid Water Gun attacks, shattering each of the targets within seconds of each other.

Ash was seriously impressed.

"Now lets see Wartortle match that," Cissy said, grinning at Ash.

Ash grinned down at Wartortle, getting a matching one in return.

"Fire!" Ash ordered.

A target went soaring into the air. Wartortle reacted at once, shattering the target with a precision Water Gun.

"Good, now three," Ash called.

Another three targets went soaring out, to be immediately shattered by Wartortle's attacks.

"Pretty good," Cissy complemented, "Now we'll both aim for the same target and whoever hits it wins the match."

"Sounds good," Ash nodded.

"Get ready," Senta said.

Wartortle and Seadra tensed. With a loud SHWICK! the target was released and soared out into the air. Both Water types launched their respective attacks. Twin jets of water soared through the air, smashing into the clay target and shattering it.

There was silence as they awaited a verdict. Tracey had a pair of binoculars held up to his eyes. After a moment he lowered them and said, "They hit at the same time."

"It looked that way to me too," Cissy said, "This match is a draw."

Ash grinned, "Awesome job buddy," Ash said, patting Wartortle on the back.

"War," he agreed, nodding self importantly. Ash rolled his eyes.

"So how do we break the tie?" Ash asked.

"Easy, with a Pokémon Wave Ride," Cissy said.

* * *

Standing at the beach, Cissy explained the rules of a Pokémon Wave Ride. "The trainers stand on the backs of their Pokémon and we race out across the ocean. One lap, all the way out to that flag and back. The first one to return wins. Understand?"

"Yes," Ash responded. He considered his team and quickly realized that he only had two Pokémon that were large enough to ride on in the water. Lapras was still young and he didn't want to put any strain on her yet.

"Blastoise, I choose you!" Cissy shouted, throwing a Poké ball into the air. A large Blastoise appeared next to her with a cry of it's name.

"Well Ash?" Cissy said, turning to him.

Ash grabbed a Poké ball and tossed it upwards, "Dragonair, to the battlefront!" he shouted. With a flash of light, Dragonair appeared and curled gently next to Ash.

"A Dragonair," Cissy said in awe, "Well, I'm thoroughly impressed now. But we still have a race to do."

"Right," Ash said, "You ready for a little race Dragonair?"

"Aaaair," he replied smoothly.

Ash hopped onto his back, wavering for a moment as he steadied himself. He nodded to Cissy, who was standing comfortably on her Blastoise's back.

"Ready!" Senta said, holding a pop gun over his head. He squeezed the trigger and it gave a loud pop.

Blastoise and Dragonair were off like a shot. Blastoise powered through the surf, swimming hard and fast as it shot towards the flag. Cissy stayed on it's back through long practice, feet wide and standing sideways as if she were riding a surfboard.

Dragonair undulated through the water, carving long and smooth lines through the ocean. Ash wobbled and wavered as he tried to maintain his balance. He closed his eyes and extended his aura. Slowly, he began anticipating Dragonair's movements and began moving with him.

They nearly reached the flag when Cissy yelled, "now Blastoise!"

The Shellfish Pokémon put on a burst of speed, rushing ahead Dragonair and flipping around the flag. Dragonair jerked to the side to avoid being hit and Ash barely stayed on. "Whoa!" he yelled out, waving his arms in an attempt to maintain his balance. After a moment he settled and Dragonair curved around the flag.

"Alright buddy, let's catch up," Ash said.

"Dragoooon!" Dragonair called out as he poured on speed.

Ash grit his teeth, working overtime to keep up with the dragon type's undulating movements; his legs were burning as he swayed back and forth to keep his balance.

On the beach the spectators were cheering them. Misty, Riolu, and Tracey shouted encouragement to Ash while Senta cheered for his sister.

They quickly caught up with Blastoise and blew straight past it, drawing a surprised cry from Cissy. Seconds later they crossed the finish line and Ash collapsed on the spot. He groaned in pain, his legs burning.

Smiling tiredly he patted Dragonair's side, "Awesome job, thanks buddy."

"Draaa," he said, and Ash was absolutely sure he said, "Your Welcome."

Shaking his head, sure he was imagining things, Ash sat up and slid off Dragonair into the shallow water below. Realizing that he was still spreading his aura he stopped and relaxed his mind.

"Return." Ash recalled Dragonair back into his Poké ball and walked back to shore.

Misty met him with a warm hug, "you did great Ash, congratulations."

"Thanks Mist," he replied.

"Ri, ri riolu," Riolu said happily.

"We won," Ash agreed, smiling down at his starter.

"That was a great race," Cissy said, coming up to Ash, "you are an impressive trainer. I suspect you'll go far in the Orange League. Here, the Coral-Eye badge is yours." She handed Ash a pink seashell with a small sapphire colored stone embedded into it.

"Thank you Cissy," Ash said gratefully.

* * *

The group were once again riding on Dragonair's back as they traversed through the ocean to the next of the Orange Islands.

"There it is, Mandarin Island," Tracey said, pointing up ahead, "Well technically it's Mandarin Island North."

Misty frowned, "It doesn't look like an Island. It looks like a bunch of buildings sticking out of the ocean."

"That's pretty much what Mandarin Island is. It's a massive city that covers the whole Island. There's all kinds of neat stuff," Tracey said.

They reached one of the island's docks and climbed from Dragonair's back. As Ash returned him they heard a shout of fear.

"What was that?" Misty asked.

Down on the wharf they could see two trainers slowly backing away from a group of Pokémon.

"Magnemite don't come any closer!" one of the trainer's said.

"Stay right there Voltorb!" the other trainer said fearfully, "Get back in your Pokebaaaaaaa."

The Magnemite launched a Thundershock at them, causing both of the trainers to scream in pain.

"Looks like trouble," Tracey commented.

"Lets go check it out," Ash said.

"Ri," Riolu agreed.

They broke into a run...and quickly skidded to a halt as they both felt a strange wave of psychic energy passing over them.

"What was that?" Ash asked.

"Ri riiii!" Riolu suddenly yelled in pain, clutching his head.

"Riolu what is it?" Ash asked, crouching down in front of him.

"Pika."

"Togi."

Pikachu and Togepi leapt from Misty's shoulder and arms and turned to glare murderously at their trainer.

"Pikachu? Togepi!" Misty said in shock, "what are you doing?"

Ash grabbed Riolu's paw, "Come on buddy, fight it."

PIkachu suddenly let out a powerful shockwave of electricity, blasting Ash, Tracey, and Misty back. Ash immediately scrambled to his feet and looked on in horror. Riolu now stood next to Pikachu, Togepi, and the other Pokémon with the same look of hatred on his face. Ash however knew that it wasn't natural, even if he hadn't been able to sense the psychic field permeating the island he recognized the glazed look in Riolu's eyes.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted.

Before he could do anything else the Voltorb rolled out in front of the group of Pokémon and used Self Destruct.

"Aaaah!" everyone shouted as the force of the explosion flung them all back. Once the smoke cleared the Pokémon had vanished.

Ash just stared blankly.

The other trainers were calling desperately for their Pokémon.

"Magemite where are you!?"

"Voltorb come back!"

Riolu was gone.

With a call of it's siren, Officer Jenny arrived on her Motorcycle. "What's going on here?"

Misty ran up to her, "Officer Jenny Togepi and Pikachu just turned on me and ran off. They'd never do that! I don't understand it."

Riolu had been taken from me.

Officer Jenny gave a sigh, "I see...it's happened again."

"What do you mean?" Tracey asked.

"In the past few days we've had several cases of Pokémon suddenly disobeying their trainers and disappearing," Jenny explained.

Someone was controlling Riolu.

"That's awful, isn't there something we can do about it?" Misty asked, "Ash, do you have any ideas? Ash?"

Ash's expression grew dark. Someone had stolen his Riolu, his best friend. And they were going to pay.

"This whole island is being permeated with amplified psychic energy," he said shortly, "It's taking over the minds of Pokémon and causing them to turn on their trainers."

"How do you know this?" Officer Jenny asked suspiciously.

"I can sense it," Ash said, "I'm training to be an Aura Guardian."

Officer jenny lifted her eyebrows in surprise, "In that case can you track the source of this energy?"

Ash didn't respond. He knelt down on one knee, placing a hand on the ground and the other clenched over his heart. He closed his eyes and softly spoke, "The aura is with me."

"What's he doing?" Tracey asked in confusion, "What's an Aura Guardian?"

"Shh," Misty shushed him, "He's tracking Riolu. We'll explain later."

Aura pulsed out from Ash's palm, spreading in all directions and filling his mind's eye with a clear view of the entire island. After a moment his eyes snapped open. "This way." Without waiting for a response he broke into a run.

"Ash wait!" Misty called, running after him. Tracey was quick to catch up and Officer Jenny revved her Motorcycle to follow.

Ash didn't stop until they came to a tall metal building with a large parabolic antenna on the roof. The whole property was surrounded by electrical fencing and 'no trespassing' signs.

"It's coming from there," Ash said, pointing.

"You're absolutely sure?" Officer Jenny asked.

Ash merely nodded.

"Then let's get in there," Jenny said, "Go Gastly!" She threw a Poké ball and a large Gastly burst forth, "Gastly break down these doors."

"Gastly!" the Pokémon responded before physically tackling the gate down. Ash bolted through the open gate and rammed through the door straight into the building. The metal doors burst away under his strength, his aura subconsciously enhancing his abilities.

Two people shouted in surprise as Ash came charging in, two very familiar people.

Misty gasped, "It's Cassidy!"

"And Botch," Ash finished darkly.

"The name is Butch!" the green hard man shouted angrily.

"I don't care!" Ash bellowed back, "Give me back my Riolu!"

"You're under arrest for Pokémon theft!" Officer Jenny exclaimed.

"Is that so?" Cassidy said cockily, "Well, let's see what our Pokémon have to say about that."

She flipped a switch, causing lights to flare into existence. In the back of the massive room was a large group of about thirty different Pokémon. Most of them were rather common breeds such as Kingler, Poliwag, and Grimer; however there were a couple of rarer types as well such as a Hitmonchan and Starmie. Behind the Pokémon, hooked up to a very large machine was a Drowzee.

"The Drowzee is how they are controlling them," Ash said.

"Oh very good," Cassidy said mockingly.

"You can't do this," Misty shouted.

"I think you'll find that we can," Butch replied, "Drowzee, get ready to have the Pokémon attack."

"Riolu snap out of it!" Ash shouted to his Pokémon, "You can fight it, I know you're strong enough."

Cassidy laughed, "Drowzee, show them how useless it is. Have them attack!"

Drowzee clapped its hands together. All of the Pokémon's eyes started glowing red and they launched their various attacks. The fire types fired Flamethrowers, the water types Water Guns, the electric types Thunderbolts, etc. The various attacks fused together, creating a massive beam of elemental energy.

Ash leapt in front of the group and created a shield of aura. It impacted against his shield and deflected off, the energy ricocheting in all directions.

"Whoa!" Tracey yelled in shock at the sight of what Ash was doing. Butch and Cassidy gasped in shock.

Ash grit his teeth in pain as he struggled to hold the barrier. He looked at the attacking Pokémon, and his eyes widened when he saw Riolu just standing there. He could see small shivers in Riolu's muscles and he knew that his Pokémon was fighting against Drowzee's control. "Riolu, I know you're in there, fight it!" he shouted, "I believe in you!"

Riolu suddenly gasped and collapsed. A field of aura enveloped him before fading from sight, and he turned glaring at Drowzee.

"What?" Butch said in shock, "How is that possible?"

"Drowzee, get that Pokémon back under control!" Cassidy ordered.

Riolu however had other ideas. A powerful white aura enveloped his body and he charged at Drowzee.

Tracey gasped, "That's Return!"

Drowzee focused all of his mental energy on Riolu, but it was to no avail as the Emanation Pokémon slammed into it with such destructive force that the machine and half of the wall behind it was demolished.

All of the controlled Pokémon stopped their attacks and blinked, looking around in confusion. With the attacks stopped, Ash dropped his shield panting heavily; that was a lot harder than it had looked.

"Riolu!"

Ash's head jerked up and a huge smile bloomed on his face as Riolu came racing to him. He held his arms out and Riolu leapt into his arms and they shared a tight hug.

'Togepi, Pikachu!" Misty shouted, running and scooping her two Pokémon up in a hug.

"Alright everyone," Officer Jenny said, taking charge of the situation, "let's get out of here before there's any more trouble. On the double!"

"Nobody's going anywhere!" Butch and Cassidy shouted.

Ash's eyes snapped to the Team Rocket duo, glaring at them in absolute rage. Standing up he turned to the Pokémon and shouted, "Go! Team Rocket is mine."

The Pokémon stampeded out at Ash's command, following Officer Jenny and with Misty and Tracey bringing up the rear. "Come on Ash," Misty shouted.

"I'll be right there," Ash responded. He glared at Team Rocket, "I just need to take out the trash first."

"You will, will you?" Butch said with narrowed eyes.

"Not if we take you out first," Cassidy said, "Go Seviper!"

"Go Zangoose!" Butch added.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise at the two Pokémon. Seviper was hissing at Riolu, while Zangoose was giving them a look of indifference while simultaneously shooting glares at Seviper.

"Seviper use Poison Tail," Cassidy ordered.

"Zangoose Crush Claw!" Butch yelled.

Seviper launched itself at Riolu, it's sharp tail glowing purple. Zangoose on the other hand merely shot Butch an uninterested look and ignored his order.

"Dodge it and use Brick Break," Ash responded.

Riolu leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding Seviper's attack, and lashed out with his paw. He slammed the side of his paw down on Seviper's head and it face planted into the floor with a cry of pain.

"Seviper!" Cassidy cried out angrily. She whirled furiously on Butch, "make your stupid Pokémon do something!"

Zangoose flashed her an angry look. Ash lifted and eyebrow as he observed this.

"Zangoose, I said use Crush Claw!" Butch shouted angrily.

Zangoose gave him a bored look, before a crafty expression formed on its face. Moving faster than Ash expected it charged on all fours. Riolu stepped back in surprise as it reared up in front of him, it's claw glowing brightly, and slashed down.

"Sevipeeeer!" The Fang Snake yelled out in pain before collapsing in a dead faint. Zangoose stood triumphantly over it; smirking at Riolu, who smiled back.

"Bif!" Cassidy yelled angrily at her partner, "I didn't say attack my Pokémon!"

"My name is Butch!" He shouted angrily back before turning his attention back to his Pokémon, "what is wrong with you, you useless Pokémon! You're always ignoring me or attacking Seviper!"

"You mean you don't know?" Ash asked incredulously.

"Know what?" Butch snapped.

"Seviper and Zangoose are natural enemies," Ash explained, "they will always attack one another if given the chance. Any self-respecting trainer knows that."

"That's ridiculous," Cassidy scoffed, "my Seviper never attacks his stupid Pokémon."

Zangoose huffed and glared at Casssidy.

Ash snorted, "that just means that Seviper is well trained and respects you enough to to ignore its instincts. Zangoose on the other hand doesn't like either of you, and frankly I agree. Ivysaur use Stun Spore!"

He threw a Poké ball and released his Ivysaur. He landed right in front of the two humans and expelled a cloud of yellow spores that washed over them. Butch and Cassidy started coughing and collapsed where they stood, their muscles locking in place.

"Saur," Ivysaur snorted at them before turning and scraping his back feet in their faces.

* * *

"And so on behalf of all the trainers on Mandarin Island, I'd like to present you with this Certificate of Achievement. You are now an honorary citizen."

Officer Jenny offered Ash the Certificate and he took it with a grateful, "Thank You Officer Jenny."

The small crowd cheered and clapped.

"In addition," Officer Jenny said, "the Zangoose that belonged to James has asked that its ownership be transferred to you. Will you accept responsibility for training her?"

Ash's jaw dropped in surprise as Officer Jenny offered him a Poké ball. After a moment he shook his head and said, "I'd be honored. I'll take good care of her."

"I'm sure you will," Jenny responded, giving him the ball, "thank you for all that you've done."

"It was my pleasure," Ash said.

* * *

"So Ash," Tracy said as they sailed away from Mandarin Island, "would you mind explaining what all that was back there?"

Ash sighed, "Have you ever heard of an Aura Guardian?"

"No, what's that?" Tracey asked.

Ash nodded, "an Aura Guardian is a human who's been trained to utilize the power of aura; the same kind of energy that Pokémon like Riolu here can use."

"Really?" Tracey asked, impressed, "can anyone learn?"

Ash shook his head "I'm afraid not. Aura is something that only a small percentage of the Human population can use, we are even rarer than psychics."

"Ah that's too bad," Tracey said, "that would be a cool ability to have."

"Tell me about it," Misty groaned.

* * *

 **And here we go. One of my longer Chapters, and a chance to introduce another non local Pokemon to Ash's team. Thank you everyone for all of the reviews and support you've given me.**

 **until next week, Dragonwolf12**


	19. Chapter 19

For the first time, Ash had decided to let Lapras carry the group across the sea. He had to admit that it was certainly more comfortable sitting on her shell instead of on Dragonair's constantly undulating back. Misty was stretched out a bit sunning herself, while Tracey was using his binoculars to search for any Water Pokémon that might break the surface.

Ash himself was using this opportunity to train his flying types. High above them Pidgeot and Aerodactyl were engaged in a mock battle under his watchful eye.

"What's that?" Tracey suddenly asked.

Ash blinked and followed Tracey's gaze to a small glinting object floating in the surf ahead of them. "No idea. Lapras can you grab it?"

"Laaa," she replied. They reached the object in a few minutes and Lapras scooped it up in her mouth and dropped it into Ash's lap.

"Thanks," he said, "are you holding up?"

"Laaa," she replied, nodding. Ash held up the object and found that it was a message in a bottle.

"Someone from the Islands must have thrown it into the ocean," Tracey commented as Ash popped the cork and pulled the note out.

He read the note aloud. "If you know anything about a Pokémon called the Crystal Onix let me know right away. Signed, Marissa from Sunburst Island."

"The Crystal Onix?" Misty asked, perplexed.

"Yeah," Tracy said, "it's supposed to be this Onix that's made out of glass crystal."

"Really?" Ash asked.

"Is it real?" Misty asked.

"Who knows, but there are people who said they've seen it," Tracy said.

"That sounds like something we have to check out," Ash said, "I wonder how an Onix could be made out of crystal."

"Well there's Sunburst Isle so we're in the right place," Tracy said, pointing up ahead.

"Do you think you could find it with your aura?" Misty asked.

Ash shook his head, "I'm not skilled enough to search an entire Island to find a Pokémon I've never seen before."

"But you found Team Rocket quick enough," Tracy said, his brow furrowed.

"No I found Riolu," Ash corrected. He put a hand on Riolu's shoulder and smiled at his Pokémon, "we have a special bond, I'll always be able to find him."

"Ri rio ri," Riolu nodded, smiling back at Ash.

* * *

"Wow!" Misty said in awe, "look at all the glass."

The entire lane was filled with little shops, each selling sparkling glass and crystal objects.

"Sunburst Island is famous for its crystal and glass shops," Tracey informed them, "lots of artists live here, making the glass right on the island. People travel all over the world to buy it."

"Impressive," Ash said.

"I'd really like to buy something," Misty said gazing around. Suddenly however the group heard a commotion from up the lane.

"You're still keeping this crummy shop open!?" an incredulous voice said, "haven't you gone outta business yet?"

"No sir," a young timid voice responded.

The gang looked up the lane to see a man wearing an apron talking down at a little girl who looked to be about seven years old.

"I don't see why you don't close up shop, you got no merchandise," the guy said, frowning at the girl. And it was true, the tables holding displays behind the girl were practically bare, save for a couple of wine glasses and plates. "Tell your big brother he should give up, he ain't got no talent."

"Yes he does," the little girl argued, tears forming in her eyes, "he's very good."

"Awe come on, don't start cryin'," the guy backpedaled.

The gang glanced at each other and nodded, deciding to intervene. They ran over and surrounded the girl supportively. "What's going on?" Ash asked.

"Is there a problem?" Misty asked.

"Why what's it to you?" The guy said defensively, "do ya know her?"

"Not yet," Ash said, "but that doesn't mean we can't help a crying little girl."

"Look all I know is being next to them is killing my business," the guy said before walking away and muttering to himself.

Misty harrumphed before turning to the girl, "are you alright?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded.

"Do you run this shop yourself?" Ash asked.

"No, my big brother Mateo helps me out," she said proudly. But then her expression turned morose, "except now he feels really bad and doesn't want to make glass anymore."

Ash frowned, "that's too bad."

"Why don't you tell us your name," Misty suggested.

"My names Marissa," she said.

Their eyes widened. Ash pulled the message in a bottle from his pocket, "so was it you who wrote this?"

Her eyes widened with excitement, "I knew someone would find it! You have to tell me about the Crystal Onix, please please!" she begged.

"I'm sorry, we don't know anything about it," Ash said apologetically. He winced as the girl wilted before him.

"Oh, I thought for sure somebody had found it," she said sadly.

"Are you sure there is a Crystal Onix?" Misty asked.

"Sure there is," the girl said confidently.

"Well, I may not know anything about it," Ash said, "But I would love to get the chance to. When I saw your letter I wanted to find it myself. Maybe you'd like to help."

"Oh that would be great," Marissa said excitedly, "Let's go get my brother, he'll be so excited."

They followed Marissa into the back of her shop where they found her brother staring morosely at a group of glass Pokémon sculptures sitting on a table.

"Mateo!" Marissa shouted gleefully as she ran in, "These people are going to help us find the Crystal Onix!"

"What?" Mateo asked, befuddled.

He looked around and found Ash, Misty, and Tracey smiling at him. "Marissa, have you been bothering these people?" he asked sternly.

"Oh she's not bothering us," Misty said, smiling, "In fact we're the one's offering to help."

"They want to help us find the Crystal Onix," Marissa said again, looking pleadingly up at her brother.

"Really? You mean it?" Mateo asked hopefully.

"Sure, it sounds like an amazing thing to see," Ash said, "I'd love to get the chance to study it for a bit."

"Oh you don't know what this means to me, thank you," Mateo said gratefully.

Misty examined the completed Pokémon sculptures on the table, "did you make these yourself? They look wonderful. Why aren't you selling them?"

Sighing Mateo picked up a Poliwhirl sculpture. "They may look good to you, but they aren't nearly good enough to me. Compared to my grandpa's sculptures they're worthless!" He emphasized this by smashing the sculpture to the floor, where it shattered into a hundred pieces.

"Oh what a waist," Misty said sadly.

"Pika," her Pikachu agreed.

"The sculptures that my grandpa made always had that soul, that sparkle, that inner fire, like they would come alive at any moment," Mateo said passionately, "I've been trying so hard to make them good enough but I just don't have the inspiration."

Understanding bloomed on Ash's face. "That's why you want to find the Crystal Onix, you think that it will give you the inspiration you need."

"It did for my grandpa," Mateo replied, a sad smile on his face. He gestured to a far wall, "That sculpture is one my Grandpa made of the Crystal Onix."

The gang looked over and gasped. The sculpture wasn't quite two feet tall, but it sparkled with an inner life that made it look as if it might start slithering around at any moment...just as Mateo said.

"That's beautiful," Misty said in awe.

"It's incredible," Tracey said, "I see what you mean about an inner fire now."

"I've been searching the whole island, trying to find the Crystal Onix but so far I've had no luck," Mateo said sadly.

"Well," Tracey said, "I think I may have just the Pokémon." He tossed a Poké ball into the air and released a Venonat.

"Venonat, take a look at this statue and see if you can find anything that looks like it," Tracy ordered.

"Venonat," it chirped in confirmation.

"How could Venonat find it?" Misty asked. Ash glanced over at her and saw that she was rather tense, but she wasn't screaming like she usually did in the presence of a bug type.

"It's eyes can act like a radar," Ash explained, "Venonat are primarily nocturnal Pokémon so they need to be able to see in the dark."

"Huh, that's pretty cool," Misty said.

Venonat studied the statue for a moment before chirping and racing out of the shop. "Come on, let's go!" Tracey said, racing after Venonat.

They followed Venonat across the island and came to a stop in front of a pile of rocks leaning against a short cliff.

"Venonat, Venonat!" the Pokémon cheered, bouncing around.

Ash tilted his head as he stared at the rocks. "It kinda looks like an Onix, I guess."

Tracey sighed in disappointment. "Thanks anyway Venonat, return. I guess I'll try a different Pokémon." He switched Poké balls and released a new Pokémon, a small blue water type.

"Marill marill!" it said.

"Cutie!" Misty squealed.

"That's a good idea," Ash said approvingly, "A Marill's hearing is among the best in the world."

"Exactly," Tracey said, "A lot of times Marill will hear a Pokémon before I even see it." He pulled a small recorder out and played a recording of an Onix's roar for Marill. "Alright Marill, can you find a Pokémon that sounds like that?"

"Marill mar!" it replied. Closing it's eyes it turned this way and that, it's ears twitching as it searched scanned the area. After a minute it's eyes popped open, "Marill!" it said, bounding off.

"Marill hears something," Tracey said, "Let's go!"

They ran to the far side of the island, moving along the beach until a second smaller island appeared about a quarter mile across the water.

"Marill mar mar!" Marill said, pointing out at the other island.

"It's over there?" Ash asked.

"I guess so," Tracey said

As they watched the tide began to recede, revealing a large path in the sand that connected the two islands. Everyone gaped in awe as they watched the incredible spectacle.

"I can't believe it," Tracey said, "it looks like some kind of sandbar that connects the two islands."

"Or maybe," Mateo said, "when the tide is really low you can see that it's all really one island."

"Let's go check it out," Ash said.

They crossed the sand bar and Marill lead them deeper into the island. Eventually they arrived at a cave in a hillside and Marill lead them inside. Soon they were emerging into a massive cavern filled with hundreds of shards of crystal sticking out of the walls. In the center of the cavern was an enormous pool of clear water.

Marill leapt into the pool and began swimming around, it's tail floating above the surface. While the group was looking around, Ash walked over to one of the crystal deposits and put an hand on it. "Hmm I wonder," he mumbled.

"Ri?" Riolu said.

"I think I see it!" Tracey suddenly yelped.

Ash turned just as a massive Onix burst out of the pool with a ground shaking roar. Everyone gasped.

"It's the Crystal Onix!" Mateo said.

"No kidding," Misty agreed.

The Onix was made entirely of crystal, and it's whole body gleamed and sparkled in the sunlight that streamed into the cave from the holes in the ceiling.

"It really is made out of crystal," Tracey said in awe.

Ash hurriedly pulled out his Pokénav and started a recording, "you'll never believe what we just discovered Sam," he narrated, "An actual Onix made of crystal."

"No fair," Tracey whined in the background. He had a drawing pad out and was sketching the Onix.

"It's scary," Marissa said, hugging her brother.

"Don't worry Marissa," Mateo said, "I came prepared with just the Pokémon, go Cloister."

Ash continued his narration, "As you can see the Onix lives in a large cavern on an islet near Sunburst Island. It seems to literally live in this pool, or at least enjoys swimming since the water doesn't seem to harm it."

Mateo engaged the Onix with his Cloister while Ash filmed. He had it use water attacks, but the Onix just shrugged them off.

"The Onix seems to be completely ignoring Cloisters water attacks, which is unusual for an rock type. I suspect that the Onix's crystalline structure has altered its typing."

Onix easily defeated Mateo's Cloister. Mateo then released a Pokémon that he called his glass making partner; a Charmeleon.

"Onix seems to be responding to the fire, another sign that it's type may have changed," Ash continued narrating as Mateo battled the Onix. He easily beat the Onix with a combination of Flamethrower and Fire Spin and it collapsed into the pool, creating clouds of steam due to its hot body.

"I have a theory that Onix has become this way due to the constant consumption of the various crystals that litter this cavern," Ash finished, panning the camera around to that Oak would see the entirety of the cave.

Stopping the recording, Ash smiled as he heard Mateo declare that he didn't need to capture the Onix; he'd received the inspiration he needed.

As the Onix slithered back into the pool, a small stone dislodged from a nearby wall and rolled down, coming to a stop right at Ash's feet. Riolu picked it up and sniffed at it before offering it to Ash.

"Thanks bud," he said. The stone was about the size of a large marble. It had every color of the rainbow spiralling through it, and through the core of the stone was an odd helical shape. "Cool," he said, pocketing it.

* * *

Mateo rushed back to his shop with Marissa on his heels. The rest of the gang returned at a more sedate pace, and when they arrived they found Mateo furiously spinning molten glass while Charmeleon kept a steady stream of flames on it.

"Keep it up Charmeleon," he was saying, "I think I'm going to like this one."

Once he was finished, he presented Misty with a beautifully crafted Pikachu sculpture.

"Oh my gosh it's gorgeous!" she said in awe, "thank you!"

By the end of the day Mateo had finished two more sculptures, a Riolu for Ash and a a Marill for Tracey.

"These are great, thank you so much," Ash and Tracey said together, gazing in awe at the statues in their hands.

"Thank you," Mateo said, "I owe you more than I could ever repay."

"We're just glad we could help," Misty said.

"Just the chance to see the Crystal Onix myself is payment enough," Ash assured.

* * *

"Come on Ash, tell me where we're going," Misty begged.

Ash just shook his head, "Nope, you'll find out soon."

Misty harrumphed, while Tracy snickered quietly. He suddenly looked ahead and yelped, "Lookout, whirlpool!"

"What?" Misty screamed.

"It's okay guys," Ash said soothingly. He rubbed Dragonair's neck, "Do you remember the path I showed you buddy?"

Dragonair nodded and snaked through the water. He easily carved around the hundreds of whirlpools that surrounded the Island they were approaching, not getting caught in a single one of them.

"No way," Tracy suddenly said, staring at the island ahead of them. "The whirlpools, the sheer cliffs...don't tell me that's Pinkan Island?"

"Yep," Ash said, grinning.

"Pinkan Island? I've never heard of it," Misty said.

"It's this really mysterious Island that's surrounded by huge whirlpools and really high cliffs," Tracey said, "It's really difficult to get to so not very many people have explored it."

"Sam got us special dispensation to spend a day on the Island," Ash explained.

Tracey frowned, "what do you mean special dispensation. Do you mean that there are people there?"

"A few," Ash shrugged, "The whole Island is a Pokémon Preserve. They don't allow anybody on the island unless they receive special dispensation from the Pokémon League to study the local wildlife."

"Wow, I thought it was deserted," Tracey said.

"What's so special about Pinkan Island?" Misty asked.

"Nobody knows," Tracey said, "There could be completely undiscovered types of Pokémon there."

"Well, that's sort of true," Ash said, "But not in the way you think."

"So you know what we're going to find on Pinkan Island?" Misty asked.

"Yep," Ash said, "trust me, you guys won't be disappointed. Here we are."

Dragonair had made it past the whirlpools and was slithering onto the beach. They dismounted and Ash returned the dragon.

"So now what?" Misty asked.

"There should be a trail carved into the mountainside," Ash said, "It's kind of difficult to spot so we need to look for it."

"Ri!" Riolu said, pointing.

They followed his paw to a small trail that lead zigzagged straight up the cliff.

"Well, obviously not too hard for Riolu," Misty giggled.

"Great job buddy," Ash said, rubbing Riolu's head.

It took them twenty minutes to reach the top of the cliff, and when they did they spotted a small cluster of buildings before them.

"There's the preserve center," Ash said, "Come on, we need to check in with Officer Jenny."

They entered the center and found Officer Jenny sitting at a desk filling out a form.

Ash cleared his throat.

"Hmm?" Officer Jenny looked up, "Who are you?"

"My name is Ash Ketchum, I'm a field researcher for Professor Oak," Ash introduced, "these are my friends Misty and Tracey."

"Oh yes, I've been expecting you," Officer Jenny said, getting up from her chair, "Let me just check you in and then we'll go on the tour."

She had them fill out several forms and gave them a small lecture. "Pinkan Island is a Protected Pokémon Preserve. Capturing Pokémon here is strictly forbidden and while you are exploring the Island please be careful to minimize the footprint you leave. You also need to be aware that most of the Pokémon here will be frightened by the appearance of a human they don't recognize and will flee or attack on sight. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," everyone replied.

"Great, then let's go," she said.

She lead them out to her jeep and together they drove out.

"So what is so special about Pinkan Island?" Misty demanded.

Ash smiled at her, "look around Misty, tell me what you see."

Looking unimpressed Misty gazed around, only for her eyes to widen in shock. All around them as they travelled were dozens of Pokémon; all colored bright pink.

"They're all pink!" she said in shock.

"How is this possible?" Tracey asked.

"It's the Pinkan berries," Ash explained.

"Pinkan Berries?" Misty repeated.

"Uhuh, just look around Misty," Officer Jenny said, gesturing at the trees that surrounded them, each filled with pink berries that the Pokémon were eating. "Pinkan Island is the only place in the world where Pinkan Berries grow. All of the Pokémon here grow up eating the Pinkan berries which gives them their pink color."

"You see the berries all have a chemical that heavily influences the pigmentation of any Pokémon that consumes it," Ash explained.

"This is incredible," Tracey said, "I've always wanted to come here. Thank you so much Ash."

"You're welcome," Ash said

* * *

"There's Naval Island," Tracey said, pointing up ahead.

The group looked ahead to see an Island looming on the horizon. The island was primarily comprised of a tall (hopefully) extinct volcano. It was nearly perfectly conical in shape, and reached so high into the air that it's peak was obscured by dense clouds.

"Whoa," Ash said, impressed.

"I wonder what kind of badge they have at that gym," Misty pondered.

"I think it's called a Sea-Ruby Badge," Tracey said, "Because it's a shell with a ruby embedded in it."

"Neat," Misty said.

"Sounds awesome, let's go Lapras," Ash said.

"Laaa," she replied and picked up speed. They soon arrived at the beach and dismounted from Lapras' shell. "Thanks Lapras, take a rest now," Ash said as he returned her.

Turning, the gang observed the sleepy little village that sat at the base of the mountain. There were several thatch roofed homes, but no sign of any people.

"It's so quiet," Misty said.

"It's like a ghost town," Tracey commented.

Riolu pricked his ears and turned out to the ocean. "Ri ri," he said, pointing out to the surf.

Ash followed his finger and saw a small sailboat heading towards the beach. A single man stood in the boat, listening to some music from a radio at his feet. He wore a red hawaiian shirt and boardshorts. The boat pulled up to the beach and slid to a halt, letting the man jump out. "Hi," he greeted happily, "I bet you guys are looking for a Gym Battle."

"You'd win that bet," Ash said, "My name's Ash. Are you the Gym Leader?"

"That I am," he said with a smile, "my name's Danny. Nice to meet you."

"You too," Ash said, "These are my friends Tracey and Misty."

"Misty eh?" he said, smiling charmingly at Misty, "That beautiful name suits you."

Misty blinked, as if unsure she heard him correctly. Tracy choked on his own spit in surprise, while Ash narrowed his eyes at Danny.

The Gym Leader walked right passed Ash and held his hand out to Misty, "My pleasure Misty."

"Ah," she squeaked out, "Nice to...meet you."

"I've seen lots of beautiful things in these Islands, but nothing as beautiful as you," Danny said, smiling charmingly.

Misty's face turned red as she stammered out, "As beautiful as me?" Togepi trilled happily in her backpack, but Pikachu was looking between Misty and Danny with a confused expression.

Ash bristled protectively. _Who did this guy think he was, talking to Misty like that._ Then, another more treacherous part of his mind thought, _He's just saying that because he hasn't met Cynthia._

He shook his head to get rid of that line of thought and cleared his throat, "So Danny, where is your Gym?"

Danny turned to him, his ever present smile still in place, "Let me just get changed and I'll show you."

He returned after fifteen minutes wearing a pair of Hiking pants, a teal polo shirt and a sweater vest. Hanging from his back was a large backpack filled to the brim.

"This way," he said.

They followed Danny through the village. Ash was growing steadily more annoyed by Misty's blatant attempts at flirting with the Gym Leader. _Can't she save the flirting to after my Gym battle?_ he thought sourly.

Eventually they arrived at a large metal gate that had the Gym Symbol over it. Danny pushed the doors open to reveal...a cable car.

"Here we are," Danny said, "Well Ash, are you ready for the qualifying round?"

"A qualifying round?" Ash asked, surprise.

"Yep, here read this," Danny pointed to a sign next to the cable car.

 **Welcome all Pokémon Trainers.**

All Navel Gym challengers must climb to the top of the mountain. Trainers must reach the top on their own. Pokémon may not provide help. Anyone using a Pokémon will be disqualified. Those accompanying the trainer should use the cable car.

Ash turned his gaze to the trail that lead up the mountain and he grimaced. "Alright, I'll need to get changed first," he said, glancing down at his current attire. A light shirt, boardshorts, and sandals would become more of a problem as he reached higher altitudes.

He came back after ten minutes now wearing his original outfit that he'd started his journey through Kanto in, jeans, a black t-shirt, his light blue collared jacket, and red Pokémon League expo hat. The only difference was the pair of hiking boots he now wore.

"Ready?" Danny asked.

"Yeah," Ash said.

With Riolu at his side he set off down the trail after Danny. After an hour the trail began to get steep. Soon they were literally climbing up the side of a sheer cliff. Danny, obviously having done this many times, didn't have any trouble at all; in fact he was positively enjoying himself. Ash was having a bit more trouble, but not an extreme amount. Not for the first time he found himself thankful that he worked just as hard as his Pokémon during their training.

They continued climbing for another two hours before reaching the top of the cliff. Ahead the trail continued, but now the altitude had grown so great that there was actually snow covering the ground. Firming his resolve Ash kept going, moving fast to keep his blood circulating and generating warmth.

Riolu had been having a blast on the climb, he loved the physical exertion during their climb and now he was enjoying running around in the snow. His fur coat, though not extremely thick, was plenty enough to keep him warm as long as he kept moving.

Soon after another hour of hiking they finally reached the peak of the mountain. Up ahead Ash saw Misty and Tracy, bundled up in blankets, waiting for them. "Hey guys," he called out, waving.

"You're here!" Misty cheered, running out to them.

Ash smiled when he saw her coming, but that smile turned to a scowl when she ran right past him and started fussing over Danny, offering to share her blanket with him.

Danny gently turned her down and faced Ash, "That was quite a test Ash. Congratulations, you passed."

"Great," Ash said, "So what's next?"

Danny laughed, "Eager I see, well let me explain the rules. Matches are decided with three rounds, and if you win two out of three you get this Sea Ruby Badge." He held up his badge for emphasis.

"Got it," Ash said.

"Right then, first we'll see who can freeze hot water the fastest," Danny said, gesturing to his right. Ash looked just as two geysers erupted from the ground.

"Let's go Nidoqueen!" Danny shouted, releasing a Pokémon.

Ash grabbed a Poké ball and threw it shouting, "Wartortle to the battlefront!"

Both Pokémon stood at the ready before the geysers.

"Nidoqueen/Wartortle, use Ice Beam!" they both shouted.

Both Pokémon instantly launched their attacks, a beam of light blue freezing energy erupting from their maw/horn and slamming into the geysers. They steadily moved up the stream of water, moving at the same speed, and within moments both geysers were fully frozen.

Danny laughed in delight, "Well it looks like we have ourselves a tie."

He returned his Nidoqueen and pushed both pillars of ice over. "Come on, we'll need these for the next challenge."

Ash nodded and pushed his ice after Danny. They stopped a little ways away in front of a small sign sticking out of the ground. On the sign was what appeared to be a diagram of a bobsled. "In the second round we'll compete at sculpting the ice," Danny explained. "The first one to carve out this ice sled using only three Pokémon wins. Understand?"

"Yep," Ash replied.

"Good, so do you know which Pokémon you're going to use?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Ash said, he took two Poké balls and tossed them into the air, releasing two Pokémon. Riolu hopped from his side and joined them. "Riolu, Zangoose, and Scyther."

Danny's mouth twitched, "Very well, I'll be using Machoke, Nidoqueen, and Scyther." He released said Pokemon

They released their Pokémon and got to work. Riolu used his fighting moves to carve out large chunks of the ice while Scyther and Zangoose used their slash attacks for more precise carving. Ash watched them carefully, doing his best to direct their attacks so that it looked to be a passable imitation of what was on the sign.

When they finished, Ash decided that it looked really good. He looked over to see that Danny's Pokémon had just finished as well.

Danny burst out laughing delightedly yet again, "A tie!"

Smiling Ash asked, "So what's the next challenge?"

"Well that's easy," Danny said, "A race to the bottom of the beach. You're allowed to have three Pokémon ride with you and the first one to the finish line wins."

"Sweet, sounds like fun," Ash said.

They pushed their sleds to the starting line and called out their three Pokémon. Danny chose a Geodude, an Electrode, and his Scyther. Ash decided to have Riolu, Zangoose, and Jolteon ride with him. Sitting in the sled they waited for the green light. Ash closed his eyes and stretched out his aura, connecting to his three Pokémon in preparation for the race.

3...

2...

1...

Go!

They were off like a shot, sliding down the mountain at dangerously fast speeds.

"Left, right, keep it steady, left again, sharp right!" Ash called out directions, trusting Zangoose to keep them on course with her claws. His eyes were closed the whole time, relying solely on his aura to see the way ahead.

Steadily they began to pull ahead of Danny, their speed steadily increasing from the reduced friction of the melting ice. After about fifteen minutes the snow gave way to dirt and suddenly it became much more treacherous. They jinked and weaved around larger rocks and between trees.

Soon however the finish line was in sight and they poured on the speed. "Let's go!" he shouted.

With one last burst of speed they rocked passed the finish line and slid to a stop. Ash's eyes snapped open and he looked back to see Danny sliding up behind him, having lost the race.

He climbed out with a grin on his face, "Congratulations Ash, you beat me." He reached into his pocket and offered his hand to Ash, "Here it is, the Sea Ruby Badge, you deserve it."

Grinning Ash took the badge, "Thanks Danny, that was a fun race."

"It certainly was," Danny said with a laugh.

* * *

 **And here's Chapter 19. I'm sorry I'm running so late with this one, my Beta decided to be lazy and I could't get them to edit it. However I finally got them so here it is.**

 **See you all friday.**


	20. Chapter 20

"Hey there they are!" Tracey said as he pointed up ahead at a cluster of islands looming on the horizon, "The seven Grapefruit Islands."

"Why are they called Grapefruit Islands?" Ash asked

"Because they're said to be covered in Grapefruit groves," Tracey explained, "And come to think of it, the grapefruit should be getting ripe right about now."

"That sounds cool," Misty said, "let's go check it out."

Lapras surfed up to the nearest island and they disembarked on the beach. Right away they could see grapefruit, massive orange fruits hanging heavily from all of the trees before them.

"Wow, they're huge," Misty said, reaching up to grab one.

Ash grabbed her wrist, "Let's make sure they don't belong to someone before picking any."

"Oh, yeah," Misty said, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

"Hey you! What are you doing here?" a voice demanded.

The group turned to see a woman running towards them. She had green hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and wore a pink polo shirt tucked into a pair of darker pink slacks.

"Who are you?" she demanded, coming to a stop right in front of them.

"I'm Ash, and this is my partner Riolu," Ash introduced.

"Ri!" Riolu added.

"I'm Misty, and this is Pikachu and Togepi."

"And I'm Tracey, do these Grapefruit belong to you?"

"Not precisely," she replied, "my name is Ruby, and I'm in charge of the Grapefruit Islands."

"So they don't just grow on their own?" Misty asked.

"Oh no," Ruby said, "We all work incredibly hard to grow these grapefruit, making sure the trees stay warm during the winter season, weeding, bringing in butterfree from the other islands to pollinate them."

"I can tell you're very passionate about them," Ash said.

She nodded, "With all the work we put in, the are almost like my children."

"With that much dedication I can see why," Tracey said.

"Ruby!" they all turned to see a man running towards them, "Ruby the thief's just struck again!"

"A thief?" Ash asked.

"Lately thieves have been coming onto the islands and stealing our grapefruit," Ruby explained, "We've been trying to catch them but so far we've been unsuccessful. Maybe this time will be different."

"We'll help," Ash volunteered, "Right guys?"

"Yeah," Tracey and Misty replied.

"Thank you, that's very kind," Ruby said, she turned to her subordinate, "Lead the way."

They ran along the beach for several minutes before coming across a scene of devastation. The trees before them were completely stripped down to their trunks, the branches ripped off and consumed.

"Oh no," Ruby said in despair.

"Hurry, over here!"

They followed the voice and stepped around a large tree to see the culprit. A massive Snorlax, sitting there without a care in the world. With both hands it reached up to one tree then another, ripping a grapefruit filled branch down and swallowing it whole.

"Oh no, what'll we do!" Misty cried.

"Stop that Snorlax," Ruby ordered.

"Right," several of her employees rushed over and tried to push the Snorlax away from the trees. However, it didn't even seem to notice their efforts and knocked them away as it reached for another branch.

"That didn't work to well," Misty commented.

Ash frowned, "That Snorlax could easily consume everything on all of the Islands. We'll have to catch it."

"You're right, go for it Ash," Misty said.

Ash nodded and grabbed a Poké ball, "Dragonair, to the battlefront!" The dragon type burst from his Poké ball and floated on the field, ready to fight.

"Let's go, use Dragon Tail," Ash ordered.

Dragonair launched himself at Snorlax and slammed his glowing tail into the Pokémon's side. Snorlax stumbled in surprise from the hit before turning angrily on Dragonair.

"Snorlax!" it roared and leapt at Dragonair in a Body Slam.

"Agility!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair vanished in a burst of speed and Snorlax slammed into the ground. The whole island seemed to shake from the impact, knocking several people off their feet.

"Now use Dragon Dance followed by Dragon Rush," Ash called.

A red glow enveloped Dragonair's body as he increased his power. Then, an aura of teal energy formed around him, shaping itself into a draconic visage. Dragonair charged at Snorlax and slammed into it with an explosion. Snorlax stumbled back several feet and fell on it's back.

However it was quick to get back to its feet and charged at Dragonair, moving at a speed that belied its size. Snorlax's fist started glowing with blue icy energy and he swung a punch into Dragonair's side.

Dragonair cried out in pain as it was flung into a nearby tree.

"Whoa, that Snorlax is fast," Misty commented.

"Yeah, I'm really impressed," Tracey said.

"I'm more worried about it's defence right now," Ash said, "Dragonair use Iron Tail!"

As Snorlax beared down on him again to use a Body Slam, Dragonair swung his metallic hughed tail and slammed it into Snorlax's side, sending it staggering to one side.

"Now use Dragon Rush!" Ash ordered.

Enveloped in the draconic energy, Dragonair rushed at Snorlax and slammed into it yet again. An explosion rocked the clearing, and when the smoke faded Dragonair was hovering over Snorlax.

"Go Poké ball!" Ash shouted, throwing his ball.

It impacted against Snorlax's side and absorbed it, landing on the ground and rocking back and forth as Snorlax fought. Suddenly the Poké ball burst open and Snorlax reformed, looking quite angry now.

"Dragonair return," ash called, recalling Dragonair to his Poké ball. He turned to Riolu, "Riolu, get in there and use High Jump Kick."

"Ri," Riolu said, determined. He leapt high into the air and came soaring straight down at Snorlax. His knee started glowing with red energy and he impacted against Snorlax with a monumental explosion. Again Ash threw his Pokeball, relying on his aura sight to hit his mark. It impacted against Snorlax's side and absorbed it, snapping shut and landing on the ground where it started rocking.

For a full minutes Snorlax fought before the ball finally went silent.

"You did it," Misty cheered.

Ash smiled, relieved. He walked over to pick up the snorlax's Poké ball. Because Ash was now at his limit for Pokémon he could carry on him, the Poké ball had shrunk and automatically locked until he could send one of his Pokémon back to the lab. He pulled out his Pokédex to scan his new Pokémon.

"Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon. Snorlax isn't satisfied until it's eaten about 900 pounds of food each day, afterwhich it promptly goes to sleep."

Type: Normal  
Ability: Thick Fat  
Gender: Male  
Moves: Body Slam, Ice Punch, Mega Kick

"You're pretty powerful," he said, "Welcome to the team buddy."

* * *

"Murcott Island, oh I've been wanting to visit this island for a long time!" Tracey said happily. He grabbed a couple of poké balls and tossed them into the air, "Venonat, Marill, go!"

"You seem pretty psyched," Ash commented, Riolu nodding in agreement next to him. "What's so special about this island?"

"Aahhh!" Misty suddenly shrieked.

Ash whirled around to see what was wrong. However at the sight of a Beedrill flyer my away he sighed.

"What's wrong Misty?" Tracey asked.

"A...a Beedrill, a big one," she said, trembling.

Tracey smiled, not understanding the problem. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to come here. Murcott islands famous for having tons of Bug types."

"Really? Neat," Ash said. However he quickly frowned as he looked at Misty. She was sweating nervously, looking around in fear. "Misty? Do you want to come?"

"Oh no, I think I'll stay here and work on my tan."

Tracey looked at her in surprise. "But Misty, if you stay here then you'll miss out on all of the bug types."

"Misty, you really need to work on your phobia," Ash said, "there are simply too many bug types in the world. And what about when you go up against a bug type trainer."

Tracey looked confused, "are you saying that Misty is afraid of bug types?"

Ash nodded. "You don't need to worry Misty, Pikachu will protect you."

"Pika pika," Pikachu agreed, nodding and rubbing his cheek against Misty's face.

She sighed nervously, "oh alright."

"Great," Tracey said, delighted.

They followed Venonat and Marill into the forest. Misty was holding both Pikachu and Togepi tightly in her arms as she worriedly looked in all directions.

Venonat and Marill worked well together, easily spotting Pokémon that Tracey and Misty didn't. Ash and Riolu however still had a distinct advantage with their aura senses. Ash had his Pokénav plus out and was jotting down notes on anything interesting he noticed both with his eyes and other senses.

After Venonat and Marill saved Misty from accidentally running into an annoyed Pinsir, she commented how great they were to have around.

"Venonat's radar vision and Marill's hearing make them a great team," Tracey said proudly.

Suddenly Venonat's antennae and Marill's ears started twitching as they noticed something off the path.

"They sense something," Tracey said.

They followed the Pokémon out into a small clearing where a beat up Scyther lay. Ash frowned as he observed the Scyther, it was obviously on the older side and it's wounds were inflicted by another blade. He extended his aura senses and gently probed it's emotions, sensing anger and wounded pride. It seems that this Scyther had lost a battle as the head of its swarm and was banished.

Tracey immediately ran to the Scyther's side, "Hey, are you alright buddy?" he asked.

It looked up at him with a glare, "Scyther," it said angrily.

"It doesn't look to happy to see you," Misty said, her voice quivering.

"Well I have something that will make you feel a lot better," Tracey said to the Pokémon, reaching into his pack for a potion.

"Be careful Tracey," Ash said. But even as he spoke, the Scyther flapped it's wings and leapt back, landing ten feet away and brandishing it's blades at them. However that lasted only a moment as it's wounds caught up with it and it stumbled.

"Hey Ash, maybe your Scyther can talk to it," Misty suggested.

Ash shook his head, "That'll only exacerbate the situation right now. It's pride has been severely wounded, it won't willingly accept any help now."

Tracey looked like he wanted to ask how Ash knew this, but his worry for Scyther overid that for the moment. He frowned in thought for a moment before turning to his Pokémon. "Venonat, let's go," he said.

"Venonat," it said, hopping out.

"What are you going to do Tracey?" Misty asked.

"You'll see," Tracey said.

Scyther lifted it's scythes and Leered at Venonat, intimidating the smaller Pokémon. "Don't back down Venonat," Tracey said, "Use Sleep Powder!"

"Veno!" the bug type leapt into the air and vibrated it's body, releasing sleep inducing spores all over Scyther. It struggled against the effects of the powder, but soon fell asleep. "Go Poké ball!" Tracey shouted, throwing an empty ball at the Pokémon. It captured Scyther instantly, barely even twitching before it hopped back into Tracey's hand. "Let's go get Scyther to a Pokémon Center."

* * *

The three of them watched through the window as Nurse Joy wrapped bandages around it's various wounds. Scyther had awoken since arriving and was lying still on the bed, but it's glare at Tracey never faltered.

"Hey Ash, what did you mean about it's pride being wounded?" Tracey asked.

"It's an older Scyther," Ash said, "and those wounds could only have been inflicted by another Scyther. I'd say that it just lost a leadership battle and was banished from it's swarm. And now being captured by you, it's going to feel really down."

"So what should I do?" Tracey asked.

"Be patient and kind," Ash said, "Scyther is your responsibility now, and it's going to be an uphill battle earning his trust and respect."

"Oh," Tracey said softly.

Nurse Joy had by now finished bandaging Scyther and was wheeling the gurney out of the emergency room. Tracey ran up and knelt down next to Scyther, "How are you doing buddy?"

"Scyther!" he growled at Tracey, struggling to get up.

"You've got to rest or you won't heal properly," Nurse Joy admonished sternly.

Reluctantly Scyther calmed and Chansey wheeled it away to a recovery room. Nurse Joy turned to Tracey, "Scyther is still very weak, it's going to take a couple of days for it to recover its strength."

Tracey nodded, "Thank you Nurse Joy."

Ash put a hand on Tracey's shoulder, "You should go stay with Scyther while he recovers."

Tracey nodded, "Right." He ran off after Scyther.

"How do you know so much about Scyther?" Misty asked, "from watching your own?"

"Partly," Ash said, "but I also read everything Sam has about Scyther. It's something I do for all of my Pokémon." He gazed after Tracey before shaking his head and saying, "I'm going to go outside and do some training. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," she said, shrugging, "I'm thinking of trying to start training Togepi."

Said Pokémon started trilling in her arms, waving it's arms around happily.

Ash nodded, "Do you want to read what I have about Togepi?"

Misty nodded, "Sure, it could be helpful."

Ash fished out his Pokénav and connected to Professor Oak's database, pulling up the file on Togepi. He handed the device to Misty, "That's all Professor Oak knows about Togepi."

"Thanks Ash."

* * *

Later that evening Ash sat in his bunk in the Pokémon Center room they'd obtained for the night. He had a pair of earphones on and his Pokénav on his lap. He sat in silence for a moment before the screen lit up.

"Ash, hi!"

"Hey Cynthia," Ash returned.

"How are you? It's been awhile since we talked. Have you gotten that second badge yet?"

"Yep," Ash held up his Sea Ruby Badge, "sorry it's been so long. It's hard to find a Pokémon Center with the right reception for international calls."

"That's fine, I understand," Cynthia said, "how are you?"

"Great, what about you? How's your training going?"

"I feel like I'm getting close," she said, "speaking of training; how close are you to Mandarin Island?"

"Which one?"

"The bigger one."

"South," Ash nodded, "that's actually next on our trip, why?"

"Because Lorelei is hosting a special training demonstration and she invited me to help," Cynthia said.

Ash perked up, "What? Lorelei as in the Elite Four member?"

"The very same," Cynthia said, "I'm so excited. It would be awesome if you were there."

"When is it?" Ash asked excitedly.

"Five days."

"I'll be there," Ash promised.

* * *

"Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!"

Ivysaur immediately formed an orb of green energy and fired it.

His opponent was quick to respond. "Dodge it Butterfree, then use Air Slash!"

"Freeeeee," the Butterfree called as it nimbly flew around the Energy Ball. It flapped it's wings hard and unleashed several blades of flying type energy. The attack slammed into Ivysaur, sending him blasting back where he fell unconscious.

"Yes we won!" Butterfree's trainer cheered in delight.

Ash sighed and walked over to where Ivysaur was recovering. Kneeling down he placed a hand on the Pokémon's head and gently started feeding his aura into Ivysaur's body and accelerating his healing. "You did a great job buddy, you deserve a long rest," he said.

Ivysaur gave him a sad smile, "Thanks Ash," he said.

Ash froze, his hand pulling his hand slightly away from Ivysaur. Had he just heard Ivysaur speak?

Ivysaur looked curiously up at him, "Ivy? Ivysaur?"

Ash shook his head, "It's nothing. Come on, I'll give you a massage after lunch."

"Ivy!"

He walked up to the terrace where Misty was enjoying a plate of sandwiches.

"Finally lost eh?" she asked.

Ash gave her a dirty look and snagged one of her sandwiches.

"Hey!" she protested.

He shook his head and demolished the food. "I left Ivysaur in for too long. It was a stupid mistake. I should have switched to another Pokémon."

"Well don't beat yourself up," MIsty said, "The fact that you recognize it means you won't make the same mistake again."

"I hope so," Ash said, "But still, ten battles in a row? What's up with this Island?"

"Well, Tracey did say that Mandarin Island South is the largest in the Archipelago."

"Maybe." Ash grabbed another sandwich, he was hungry. "I never thought I'd want people to stop challenging me."

"Hey guys I've figured it out," Tracey said, running up with a flyer in his hand.

"Figured what out?" Misty asked.

Ash grabbed a third sandwich before sitting down next to Bulbasaur to start massaging him.

"The mystery of why there are so many people asking for battles," Tracey said, "The answer's right here in this flyer?"

"Well tell us," Ash said, "Don't leave us in suspense."

Tracey held it up to read, "Attention Pokémon Trainers, Pokémon lecture and battle demonstration by the one and only Lorelei."

Ash groaned, "I should have known."

Tracey nodded.

Misty gasped, "Lorelei is really here!?" she asked with stars in her eyes.

"Yeah, I heard she has a house on the Island and she gives weekly demonstrations on battle techniques and styles during the off season," Tracey explained.

"Oh I never dreamed I'd ever get the chance to see Lorelei in person," Misty said dreamily.

"It sounds like you're a fan Misty," Tracey commented.

"Who wouldn't be," Misty gushed, "She's one of the very best and she uses water Pokémon too, Lorelei's my hero!"

"I'm a hero am I?"

Ash looked up from Ivysaur and his jaw dropped open in surprise. There stood Lorelei, gazing down at Misty in amusement.

Ash's shock quickly turned to a mixture of amusement and exasperation as Misty and Tracey went into total fangirl/boy mode.

Lorelei gazed at them with a glazed expression before suddenly walking passed them and bending down to look at Togepi. "Hello cutie, nice to meet you." Togepi trilled happily in response while Tracey and Misty stared in shock.

Ash laughed quietly and returned most of his attention to working his fingers into Ivysaur's muscles. "Ivy...saur," the Pokémon said happily.

"Rio ri," Riolu whined.

Ash rolled his eyes. "You are becoming spoiled," he admonished his starter.

"Rioooo," he whimpered, giving Ash his best puppy dog eyes.

Ash shook his head. He noticed that Lorelei had turned her attention to the ocean and was gazing out with a small smile.

"Miss Lorelei, are you alright?" Tracey asked hesitantly.

"Ah, the sun feels like an old friend," she said breezily.

"It does?" Tracey asked in confusion.

"Oh I'm so excited," Misty interjected, "We saw the flyer about your lecture. I can't wait to hear your talk."

Lorelei shushed her, "Just listen." She cupped a hand to her ear and closed her eyes as the breeze blew across her face. "The wind is speaking."

Both Tracey and Misty stared at her with blank expressions.

"Huh?"

"I think we might need a translation," Tracey said.

Ash shook his head. He didn't fully understand what the woman was doing, or why she was doing it, but he could understand stopping and listening to nature.

"The ocean is beautiful isn't it?"

"As beautiful as the sky that reflects it," Ash said.

"Rio riolu ri ri," Riolu added.

"Exactly," Lorelei said, turning away from the view. However, when Ash saw that she was looking at Riolu, he took a moment to decide whether he should be offended or not. 'Nah,' he thought. He returned his focus to working his fingers into the bud on Ivysaur's back. The grass type was steadily turning into a puddle of green goo under his ministrations.

"Hey you," a voice called, "Are you Ash Ketchum, the guy who got second place in the Indigo League?"

Ash turned and saw a teenaged boy was staring at him.

He considered denying it for a moment, then sighed and said, "Yeah that's me. What can I do for you?"

"I want a battle, two on two!" he said, holding out a Poké ball.

"Alright," Ash said, getting to his feet, "Return Ivysaur."

He stood across from his challenger and grabbed a Poké ball, "Zangoose, to the battlefront!"

"Persian, go!" he shouted, "Use Slash!"

Persian burst from its Poké ball and immediately slashed at Zangoose. She cried out in pain from the attack.

"Now quickly use Thunderbolt!" Persian's trainer ordered.

"Per!" the Classy Cat Pokémon called as it unleashed a bolt of electricity that slammed into Zangoose.

"Zaaang!" Zangoose cried out.

"Revenge!" Ash ordered.

As the Thunderbolt ended, Zangoose grinned and charged at Persian. Her claws took on a light blue glow and she slashed at Persian. There was an explosion and Persian was thrown across their makeshift field, it didn't get back up.

"Ah Persian, return," the trainer called. He quickly switched Pokémon, "go Tauros, use Take Down!"

"Dodge and use Crush Claw," Ash ordered.

A Tauros appeared from the Poké ball already charging at Zangoose. She leapt to the side, barely evading the attack, and quickly turned. With her claws glowing white she slashed at Tauros' flank, causing it to cry out in pain.

"Hone Claws," Ash ordered.

Zangoose grinned as she scraped her claws together, a red glow briefly enveloped her body as her attack power and accuracy increased.

"Quick Tauros, use Fissure!" their opponent ordered.

Tauros reared and slammed a good into the ground, creating a massive crack that surged towards Zangoose.

"Dodge with Quick Attack," Ash called.

A white glow enveloped Zangoose as she dropped to all fours and bolted to the side. Running right around the crack in the ground she slammed into Tauros' side, causing it to stagger.

"Now finish it with Crush Claw," Ash ordered.

Zangoose slashed again. Tauros cried out in pain before collapsing in a faint.

"No, Tauros!" His trainer recalled the Pokémon and ran off.

Ash smiled and walked up to pet Zangoose, "Awesome job, thank you."

"Zang," she replied with a nod.

A shadow fell over them. Ash looked up to see Lorelei standing over him, gazing at him with a curious expression. "I remember your battles in the Indigo League, you did very well. I can tell you have a strong bond with your Pokémon."

"I ah...thank you," Ash stuttered.

She smiled faintly, "Are you planning on attending my demonstration this afternoon?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Ash said, smiling.

"Wonderful, perhaps afterwards you can join me at my home for some tea," Lorelei asked, "your friends here are welcome to join us."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise, "I...I'd be honored, thank you."

"Then I shall see you later," Lorelei said.

"Oh my gosh!" Misty squealed as Lorelei walked out of sight, "this is like a dream come true!"

* * *

Ash sat in the stands between Misty and Tracey as they watched Lorelei step out onto the field.

"WELCOME POKÉMON FANS TO MANDARIN ISLAND STADIUM. IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE ONE OF THE ORANGE ISLANDS TOP TRAINERS, LORELEI OF THE KANTO ELITE FOUR."

The crowd burst into applause as Lorelei stepped out into the trainer box.

"FOR TODAY'S DEMONSTRATION, LORELEI HAD ELECTED TO HAVE AN EXHIBITION MATCH AGAINST THE RECENT INDIGO LEAGUE WINNER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PLEASE PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR CYNTHIA SHIRONA!"

Ash cheered and clapped loudly as Cynthia came walking out. Instead of the blue blouse she wore during the Indigo League, she was now wearing a black tank top underneath a long black fur lined jacket.

"You knew," Misty accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ash said, his eyes never leaving Cynthia. He saw her briefly scanning the stands and her eyes connected to his. She grinned at him and he waved back.

"You knew about Lorelei's demonstration and you knew Cynthia was going to be battling her," Misty said, annoyance seeping into her voice.

"Maybe," Ash said.

"Sorry but who's Cynthia?" Tracey asked.

"She's Ash's girlfriend," Misty said.

"She is not," Ash protested, "we're just friends."

"Sure, whatever you say Ash," Misty said playfully.

Ash scowled at her.

"Go Slowbro!"

"Gastrodon, battle dance!"

Ash turned to give the battle his full attention. He was immediately impressed. He knew Cynthia was powerful, but Lorelei was a whole other level. Her Slowbro managed to defeat Cynthia's Gastrodon and her Spiritomb without breaking a sweat. Garchomp managed to get a few hits in, but in the end she was defeated by Slowbro's Sheer Cold.

"Oh wow, that was amazing!" Misty squealed, "I learned so much from that battle."

"Yeah, her Pokémon are trained so well," Tracey said.

"What did you think Ash?" Misty looked around, "Ash?" But his seat was empty.

Ash rushed out of the stands and made his way down to the stadiums locker rooms. Knocking and entering he found Cynthia comforting her Pokémon after that devastating loss.

"Hey."

She looked up, "Ash!" Smiling she stood and hugged him. He hugged her back tightly.

"How're you doing?"

"I'm good," Cynthia pulled back, "I wasn't expecting to win, but I thought I'd do better than that."

Ash nodded, "I guess it shows how much further we have to go."

"Yeah, so how have you been?"

They sat there chatting for the next ten minutes until Lorelei came walking in. Her face turned to an expression of surprise for a moment when she saw Ash, but it quickly turned to amusement. "I see I'm interrupting something," she said, "Shall I come back?"

"No!" they both said, blushing lightly at her insinuation. Riolu was snickering along with Cynthia's Pokémon.

"No, we were just catching up," Cynthia said.

"We haven't seen each other face to face since the Indigo League," Ash said.

"I see," Lorelei said smirking, "in any case, I was coming to invite Cynthia here for tea with us. Would you like to join us dear?"

Cynthia looked up in momentary surprise, "Oh I'd love to."

"Wonderful," Lorelei said, "In that case let's collect your friends Ash."

Riolu easily found Tracey and Misty among the crowd exiting the stadium. Misty gave Ash a sly smirk when he appeared with Cynthia at his side. Her gaze traveled between them, and Ash looked down to see that he'd been holding Cynthia's hand. He blinked, not having remembered grabbing it. He met Cynthia's eyes and they blushed, but didn't let go.

At Lorelei 's home she served them tea. Ash and Cynthia sat together, drinking quietly while Misty and Tracey went on about the amazing battle. Lorelei simply drank her tea and gazed at them with lazy amusement.

"You know, I never took your friends to be such fan's," Cynthia said quietly.

Ash sighed, "Me neither."

They perked up when Tracey finally asked a pertinent question. "I couldn't help but noticed that you seem to be a totally different person when you're battling."

Ash noticed Lorelei's eyes finally lit up slightly. "I suppose so," she said, "but we all behave in different ways when we're in different situations, isn't that right Tracey?"

"Uh yeah, I suppose so," Tracey said, a little confused.

"Everyone has a particular way of battling," Lorelei continued.

"What's yours?" Tracey asked curiously.

"I try to behave like water," Lorelei said.

"What do you mean by that?" Cynthia asked.

"When I'm not battling, I try to go with the flow," Lorelei said smoothly, "but as soon as a battle begins I become as unforgiving as ice. Then, I melt right back and flow on." She gave a little giggle.

Standing, Lorelei walked out to the deck of her house, and everyone followed. "A trainer can become successful with any number of styles," she continued, "but the most important thing...the most important thing is knowing, really knowing, where your true strength lies."

"The strength that comes from within," Ash said.

"And from the bond you have with your Pokémon," Cynthia added.

Lorelei smiled at them, "Exactly."

They fell into silence and simply listened to the wind as it blew through the trees, bringing with it the salty scent of the ocean.

After a few moments Ash spoke up, "Lorelei, would you please let me battle you?"

She smiled at him, "Very well."

They followed her to a large training field near her home. They took their positions, grabbing onto a Poké ball.

"I'll referee if you don't mind," Cynthia said.

"Will one Pokémon each suffice Ash?" Lorelei asked.

Ash nodded.

"This one on one Pokémon battle between Ash and Lorelei is about to begin," Cynthia announced, "Trainers, release your Pokémon."

"Jolteon, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted.

"Cloyster, let's go," Lorelei called.

Both Pokémon appeared on the field, squaring off and awaiting their trainer's command.

"Battle, begin!" Cynthia said.

"Jolteon use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

"Cloyster, Withdraw," Lorelei said.

"Jolt jolteon!" Jolteon cried as he launched a powerful bolt of electricity at Cloyster. However the Bivalve Pokémon was too quick; it sealed its shell before the attack could it. The Thunderbolt hit and traveled along it's shell but did little damage.

"Quick use Double Kick," Ash ordered.

Jolteon raced at Cloyster and delivered two powerful kicks with his back legs, blasting it across the field.

"Come out and use Icicle Crash," Lorelei ordered.

Cloyster's shell opened and it released a wind of freezing crystals. Large icicles quickly formed and began raining down on Jolteon.

"Agility!" Ash shouted.

Jolteon vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing in different places on the field as he dodged the attack.

"Now use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon stopped and launched another lightning attack at Cloyster, it hit and Cloyster cried out in pain.

"Hydro Pump," Lorelei said calmly.

Cloyster instantly unleashed a huge blast of water that slammed into Jolteon before he could react.

"Jolt!" he screamed as he was blasted away.

"now finish it with Aurora Beam!"

Cloyster unleashed a freezing beam of multicolored energy. It slammed into Jolteon with an explosion, instantly knocking him out.

"Jolteon us unable to battle," Cynthia said.

"No Jolteon," Ash ran out to his Pokémon and gently scooped him up. "Are you alright buddy?"

"Jolt," he said weakly.

"That's good," Ash said, "I'll give you a massage later after we get you to a Pokémon Center."

"A good battle Ash," Lorelei said, walking up to him.

"I still have a lot to learn," Ash said.

"That's true, but you understand the most important thing of being a trainer," Lorelei said, "You understand the importance of a loss and the importance of a trainer's bond with his Pokémon. I am glad to have witnessed such a powerful bond between a person and a Pokémon, thank you Ash."

"Thank you," Ash said, "I won't forget this."

"I'm sure you won't," Lorelei said with a smile, "It's been a pleasure."

* * *

 **And here's Chapter 20. Cynthia has made a return and Ash's captured Snorlax.**

 **An important announcement: Due to my unfortunate scheduling and the laziness of my beta, I have decided that I will be posting chapters every other friday.**


	21. Chapter 21

"I'm glad you could stay with us for a while," Ash said as he leaned on the railing.

"Me too," Cynthia said, "It's been fun travelling with you."

"How much longer do you think you can stay?" Ash asked.

"A few more days," Cynthia said, "But then I need to get back to Sinnoh. I have to meet my grandmother."

"Well, at least you get to watch my Gym Battle," Ash said, smiling.

"I can't wait," Cynthia said, smiling back.

They looked up ahead and saw the shores of Trovita Island growing larger. As they approached, they could make out several volcanic spires jutting up from the ocean around the Island, it was for this reason that the gang decided it'd be best to take a ferry to the island instead of riding Lapras or Dragonair.

"Help me!" a small voice came carrying in on the wind.

Ash tensed, "What was that?"

"There!" Misty cried, pointing.

They followed her finger and saw a small girl hanging tightly onto a Seel. She was crying and begging for help, even as her Seel struggled futilely against the whirlpool they'd been caught in.

"Go Staryu!" Misty shouted, tossing her Poké ball into the sea. She shoved Togepi and Pikachu into Tracey's arms and quickly dove in after it. She grabbed her Pokémon, "let's go Staryu." She took a deep breath and they dove under.

The little girl had been sucked under, but Misty came swimming up underneath her and grabbed her. Together they raced back to the surface and broke through, breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?" Misty asked.

"Uh-huh," she confirmed in a small voice, gazing gratefully at her.

Ash launched Lapras' ball into the surf. "Lapras, go to Misty," he ordered.

She nodded and swam quickly over to the water trainer. Misty helped the girl climb onto lapras' shell before turning to hug Staryu, "Thanks Staryu, return."

She quickly climbed up behind the girl and settled down.

"Thank you," the girl said.

"You're welcome," Misty said, "What's your name? And how did you get all the way out here?"

With big eyes the girl replied, "My name's Mahri. I was playing with Seel in the ocean when the current pulled us out."

"You need to be careful in the ocean," Misty lightly scolded, "Be sure not to go swimming by yourself okay?"

"I will," Mahri replied.

They arrived at the docks just as the Ferry did. At the same time, a young man came racing down the docks shouting for Mahri. She ran and jumped into his arms.

Ash smiled at the sight before turning his attention to Lapras. "You did great, thanks Lapras. Return."

"Praaas," she replied as she was absorbed back into the Poké ball.

The boy, who Ash assumed was the girl's older brother, turned to Misty, "I'm very grateful to you. I can't thank you enough for saving my sister."

"I'm glad I could help," Misty said, smiling.

"May I ask your name?"

"I'm Misty," she replied.

"Misty," he repeated, "you're wonderful."

The guy snapped his fingers and three of the guys behind him suddenly presented Misty with bouquets of flowers. With another snap of his fingers, another assistant started playing music from a radio.

"Misty, would you do me the honor?" he asked.

Misty seemed stunned speechless as he grabbed her arm and started dancing with her.

"What exactly does he think he's doing?" Ash asked quietly as he watched next to Cynthia.

Cynthia raised her eyebrow at him, noticing the anger in his voice. "Are you jealous?" she asked.

That made Ash blink. Was he jealous? No, not jealous. "Protective," he responded after a moment of thought.

That made Cynthia smile, "Good."

"But why do I feel so protective of her?" Ash asked, confused.

"I think it's because you see Misty as a sister," Cynthia said, "It's a natural reaction for you to be protective when another guy tries to make a move on her."

"Huh, that makes sense," Ash said. Mystery solved, he went back to glaring.

"I'd be very grateful if you'd stay for a while and instruct the trainers in my humble gym," the guy was saying.

"Wait, you mean you're the Gym Leader?" Misty asked, stunned.

"Yes, is that so hard to believe?" he asked with a grin, "Rudy is the name, and I must say you're an excellent dancer."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise, then he grinned, "I think I'll enjoy beating this gym."

Cynthia giggled.

"My friend Ash here actually wants to challenge you," Misty said, cutting through one of the compliments that Rudy was giving her.

"Oh, and who would that be?" Rudy asked, turning to look at the others.

"Me," Ash said, stepping up.

"Well," Rudy said, grinning, "If you want to challenge me, you'll have to pass a little test."

"Bring it," Ash said.

* * *

They found themselves in a speedboat, with Ash standing in the front. His friends sat behind him, with Rudy in the far back guiding the boat. "It's a simple test," Rudy said, "If your Pokémon can hit all of the targets then we'll have our battle."

"Cake," Ash responded.

They sped down the river.

"Ready Riolu?" Ash asked.

"Riolu!"

A large red and white ringed target appeared from a crevice in the cliff.

"Aura Sphere!" Ash ordered.

Riolu charged the attack and launched it in a heartbeat. It impacted against the target with an explosion.

Grinning, Ash glanced back. His face quickly turned to a scowl when he saw that Rudy wasn't even paying attention, but was staring at Misty with another bouquet of flowers.

Cynthia reached back and flicked him on the nose. "Hey what's the big idea?" he demanded.

"A little professionalism please?" Cynthia said, staring imperiously at him.

He cringed at her expression while Misty flushed in embarrassment.

Scowling, Ash returned his attention to the challenge. Closing his eyes, he called upon his aura, connecting with Riolu and seeing the area ahead. "Aura Sphere!" he ordered as another target appeared. Every target that appeared was destroyed within moments of its appearance.

As the last target shattered under Riolu's onslaught everyone, including Misty, gave a cheer.

* * *

Inside of the gym, Rudy and Mahri stood across from Ash and his friends. It was evening, the setting sun casting an orange glow on the ocean.

"Well you passed my attack test," Rudy was saying, "tomorrow we'll have our match. If you beat me in two out of three single type battles my badge is yours."

Ash nodded in understanding.

"As the challenger you get to pick the types."

"Flying, bug, and water," Ash said after a moment.

Rudy nodded before turning his attention to Misty, "and as for you, would you care to have dinner with us this evening?"

"Oh please say yes, my brother is a really great cook," Mahri said excitedly.

"Oh, alright," Misty said.

"Yay, yay, yay!" Mahri cheered.

Misty walked off with Rudy, leaving the rest of them alone.

"See you later," Tracey said quietly, apparently stunned at her abrupt departure.

Misty didn't respond.

Scowling in annoyance, Ash turned to Cynthia and asked, "want to get some dinner?"

Cynthia blinked in surprise before she smiled, "Sure."

Hand in hand, they left the gym. There was a very small village on the island supported by traffic to and from the gym. There were a couple of small restaurants a Pokémart, and a Pokémon Center.

They sat down in a small restaurant and ordered some dinner. The chatted as they ate; making small talk, discussing training and battle strategies, talking about future plans, and generally avoiding the slowly growing Mamoswine in the room.

Finally, Ash decided to just rip the bandage off and ask, "Cynthia, what are we?"

She was silent as she put her fork down. Slowly, she collected her napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not sure what you mean," she finally said.

"Yes you do," Ash replied, "you've been avoiding it, as I have. But we can't ignore this forever."

She sighed, "What do you want us to be?"

Ash swallowed, mouth suddenly dry and palms sweaty. His heart was beating a hundred times a second.

"I...I really like you Cynthia," he said after a moment, "will you...be my girlfriend?"

Her face broke into a wide smile, but she seemed hesitant, "I'm not sure Ash, we both have our separate journeys to take, do you think we can survive a long distance relationship?"

"I think I'm willing to try," Ash replied.

"Then, I guess I am too," Cynthia said.

Standing up, Ash paid for the bill and they left, heading to the Pokémon Center where they'd reserved rooms for the night. Right before they separated, Cynthia leaned over and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

"Good night Ash," she said, and slipped into her room.

Ash stood there, stunned. He brought a hand up to his cheek and a bright grin appeared on his face.

He was still there when Misty arrived fifteen minutes later.

"Ash?" Misty asked, confused by his presence.

He shook himself out of his daze and looked at her. Noting her conflicted expression he asked, "What's wrong?"

She blinked, "Oh, uh Rudy asked me to stay here with him."

Ash blinked. Swallowing he asked, "Will you?"

"I don't know," she confessed, "He's so nice and romantic, but I don't want to abandon you."

"Misty, I think you're forgetting something," Ash said, "What about your dream?'

"Huh?" she blinked.

"You left home to become the world's greatest Water Pokémon Master," Ash reminded her, "Is that still your dream?"

"Of course," she said.

"Then I think you need to do whatever you need to fulfill your dream," Ash said, "If you think that you can better do that by staying then I will support you 100%."

She bit her lip. "What would you do?" she asked after a moment.

"What I would do is irrelevant," Ash said, "And I think if I made my opinion of Rudy known you'd get angry at me."

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Cynthia says I'm acting like an overprotective brother," Ash responded, "Take of that what you will. Regardless, I'm sure you'll make the right choice. Goodnight Misty."

"Goodnight Ash."

* * *

The battlefield, much to Ash's surprise, wasn't in the gym, but atop one of the largest spires that surrounded the island. A sturdy bridge allowed them to easily cross to the field, while Misty, Tracey, and Cynthia sat in a hot air balloon to watch the battle.

"Alright Ash, choose a Flying Type and we'll begin the match," Rudy said.

"Pidgeot, to the battlefront!" Ash called, throwing his Poké ball. Pidgeot came bursting out and landed on the field, "Pidgeoooot!" she called in challenge.

Pulling a Poké ball, Rudy said, "I choose, Fearow!" he launched the ball and released his own flying type.

One of the gym assistance flew over the battlefield on the back of his own Pidgeot. With a microphone in hand he announced the battle, **"This match will consist of three one on one Pokémon battles between two Pokémon of the same time. The types shall be flying for the first round, bug for the second round, and water for the third round. The first trainer to win two out of three battles shall win the match. Battle, begin!"**

"Go Fearow, use Drill Peck!" Rudy ordered.

Fearow took to the air as its beak started rotating rapidly.

"Aerial Ace," Ash ordered.

Pidgeot flapped her wings and took to the sky. She soared at Fearow, ducking under it's attack, and slammed into its belly.

"Feeeeear!" it cried out.

"Quick Fearow, use Fury Attack!" Rudy called.

Before Pidgeot could get too far away Fearow lashed out at her, pecking repeatedly. Pidgeot cried out in pain from the attack.

"Steel Wing!" Ash called.

Pidgeot span in midair and slammed a metallic wing into Fearow's side, sending it crashing back down to the field.

"Fearow!" Rudy called in distress, "Quickly use Hyper Beam!"

"Double Team!" Ash responded.

Fearow stood up and launched a powerful beam of pink energy at Pidgeot. However, at the same time multiple Pidgeot's appeared in the air above the battlefield. The Hyper Beam slammed into one of the copies and made it vanish but otherwise did no damage.

"Now use Giga Impact," Ash ordered.

All of the copies vanished and the real Pidgeot came flying down with a purple and gold spiraling aura around her. She slammed into Fearow with a massive explosion that rocked the field. When the smoke cleared, Fearow was revealed unconscious.

" **And that's it for Rudy's fearow. Both trainers return your Pokémon and each send out a bug type for the second round."**

"Fearow return," Rudy said.

"Return Pidgeot, you did awesome."

They both switched Poké balls and threw them at the same time. "Scyther to the battlefront!"

"I choose Pinsir!"

" **Begin!"**

"Pinsir use Vice Grip," Rudy ordered.

Pinsir clacked its pincers together and charged at Scyther.

"Double Team," Ash ordered.

"Scyther scy!" he said as he blurred from sight. All around the battlefield a dozen different Scyther's appeared. "Scyther!" they all called. Pinsir stopped and looked around in confusion, trying to figure out which one to attack.

"Wing Attack," Ash ordered

All of the Scyther's wings started glowing and they ran at Pinsir, each striking the Pokémon with no effect until the real Scyther hit.

Pinsir cried out in pain from the attack.

"Quick Pinsir, use Guillotine!" Rudy called.

Pinsir's pincers started glowing and it charged at the real Scyther.

"Dodge and use Air Slash!" Ash ordered.

Scyther leapt out of the way of Pinsir's charge. He then slashed with his scythe, releasing a blade of flying energy that slammed into Pinsir.

"Ah Pinsir!" Rudy yelled, "Use Struggle Bug!"

Pinsir quickly whirled on Scyther and unleashed a beam of green energy. It slammed into Scyther with an explosion, sending him skidding to the edge of the platform.

"Scyther, use Aerial Ace," Ash ordered.

Scyther was quickly back on his feet and flew down at Pinsir with a white glow enveloping his body. With a crash, he slammed into Pinsir and sent it careening across the field. It didn't get back up.

" **That's it for Pinsir, since the challenger has won two battles he is declared the victor!"**

"Yes!" Ash cheered, running out and embracing Scyther in a tight hug.

"Scyther scyther, scy!" The Pokémon said happily as he hugged Ash back, being careful to keep his blades turned away.

Rudy returned his Pokémon and walked up to Ash with a smile, "well you won Ash." He flicked his hair before pulling out a badge, "here you go, as promised, the Spike-Shell Badge."

"Thank you," Ash said, taking the badge.

* * *

Ash, Cynthia, and Tracey sat at the end of the dock waiting for Misty. Cynthia had found and befriended a young woman named Maren who was willing to ferry them onto the next island.

The new couple were sitting on the dock, gazing out across the ocean and chatting quietly, their hands intertwined. The sound of shoes hitting wood drew their attention. Turning, they saw Misty running towards them with Togepi in one arm and a bouquet in the other; Pikachu sat in his usual perch on her shoulder.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," she said, "are we ready to go?"

Ash met Misty's eyes smiled at her, "yep, we're all set."

"Great," she said, smiling back.

The group boarded Maren's boat and they were soon heading out to sea. Their destination was Kumquat Island, the location of the final Orange League Gym. Ash and Cynthia stood on the prow, gazing out at the ocean ahead of them with Riolu standing between them, gripping the railing. Behind them, Tracey was sitting back against the hull, making a sketch of the two of them. Misty was near the stern, playing with Togepi and Pikachu.

"Hey Maren," Misty suddenly asked, "do you think we have time to let out our Pokémon?"

"Sure, we've got a couple of hours before we reach Kumquat Island," she replied.

"Great, come on out guys," Misty shouted, tossing several Poké balls into the air. With multiple flashes of light, Staryu, Horsea, and Goldeen appeared above the water and fell into the ocean with a splash.

Grinning, Tracey copied her, tossing his three Poké balls into the air and released Scyther, Venonat, and Marill. Ash tossed Squirtle, Lapras, and Dragonair's poké balls into the ocean, releasing the three of them. Cynthia completed the set by tossing a single Poké ball and released a long beautiful serpentine Pokémon into the sea.

"Oh my Arceus," Misty gasped at the sight of it, "you have a Milotic. Oh I've always wanted one. Where did you catch her? What do you do to keep her scales so shiny? What kind of food to you feed her?"

Ash shook his head as his best female friend and girlfriend dissolved into an intense discussion about the latter's water type. "Well at least they get along," he said, returning his gaze to the sea. When Riolu remained silent at his comment he looked down at the fighting type with a frown.

Riolu was staring intently at the sea ahead of them. His body was tense, like he was expecting a difficult battle ahead.

"Riolu, what's wrong?" Ash asked.

Riolu looked up at him and simply held out his paw. Concerned, Ash gripped his paw and focused on his aura. In his mind's eye, the world around them lit up with blue energy.

Ash inhaled sharply, instantly understanding why Riolu was so tense. Wisps of blackness were slowly spreading through the very fabric of the world itself. The balance of nature was being corrupted by something...and it didn't bode well for the planet or its inhabitants.

Opening his eyes, Ash frowned as he looked ahead. Dark storm clouds were gathering, lightning flashing within. Soon the sun was covered and a strong current rocked the ship, knocking everyone off their feet. Ash could hear Maren yelling and cursing as she fought against the current, but soon she gave up and shutdown the engine. Everyone was quick to return their Pokemon less they are separated by the current, and huddled against the hull as the boat was swept away.

For hours the boat rocked back and forth as it was swept along. Ash and Riolu huddled together, gripping onto the railing for support. Riolu was the first to spot their destination, pointing ahead and yelling, "ri ri rio ri lu!"

Everyone turned and gasped with relief at the large land mass ahead. There were several breaks in the clouds above the island, allowing sunlight to illuminate the structures along the coastline.

"We're way off course," Maren said, "That's Shamouti, were right in the middle of the orange islands."

The current dragged the boat right into a large cove, eventually beaching them on the shore below a tall seawall. Ash was the first to hop off of the boat, gazing around in interest. His senses were beginning to prickle unpleasantly, a sense of impending doom growing upon him. He frowned, turning his gaze back out to the dark ocean.

"It's a good thing we found this island," Cynthia said as she landed on the sand next to him.

"Yeah, I hate to think what would have happened if we'd drifted off into open sea," Misty replied.

"Uh, guys, we're not out of the water yet!" Trace said, sounding mildly panicked.

Ash followed his pointing finger and gasped at the sight of over two dozen figures standing on the sea wall above them, all dressed in some sort of tribal outfits. Each person was wearing a strange wooden mask of some sort of animal that gave Ash the creeps.

All of the people leapt down from the wall, surrounding the group.

Ash was reaching for Charizard's Poké ball when one of them spoke. "Maren how are you?" The figure in the front removed her mask, revealing a young woman with brown hair. She was gazing happily up at Maren, who hadn't left the boat yet. "It's been a while."

"Carol, I can't believe it!" Maren replied happily, "It's great to see you!"

"What are you doing back on Shamouti Island?" Carol asked.

"We got caught up in that storm and floated in," Maren explained, "and it looks like we got here at the perfect time."

"You're right, the annual legend festival starts today," Carol replied.

"This is my favorite Island Holiday," Maren said with delight. She mimicked playing a flute, "Are you going to be the star of the show again?"

"No, I'm too old to be the festival maiden," Carol said. "This year my sister is going to take over for me. I wonder where she cou..."

"I'm right here," a snooty voice interrupted.

Ash looked up to see a young teenage girl with long red hair, sunglasses, and a beret, standing on top of the sea wall. "The only one not wearing a stupid costume. You'd think after a few centuries you'd have outgrown this dorky ritual."

"It's our tradition!" Carol shouted angrily, "You should be honored to take part!"

"Don't worry, I'll play my role in the big legend," the girl said, her voice laced with sarcasm, "I've only see you do it like a zillion times."

"Just be there!" Carol shouted back, exasperated. Turning her attention back to Maren, who was climbing off of the boat, she said, "unfortunately, that's my little sister, her name is Melody. But don't be fooled, she isn't always this adorable. Who's this?"

"Oh sorry," Maren said, remembering to introduce her passengers, "This is Cynthia, Tracey, Misty and Ash Ketchum, who're Pokémon Trainers..."

"Pokémon Trainer!" the whole group broke into celebration, cheering and dancing.

"The ancient legend foretells your arrival!" an old man said, he was wearing a blue bird mask and walking through the crowd towards Ash. "Only with you, can the guardian of the waters vanquish the great titans of fire, ice, and lightning! In your hands O' Chosen One!"

"In your hands rest the world and it's fate!" the old guy continued.

Ash swallowed.

"Heh, don't let it worry you kid," the guy then said in an undertone, "It's just for the tourists!"

This made Ash frown. Was it just a coincidence that the very balance of nature had been sent into upheaval during this island festival?

"So you're a Pokémon Trainer huh?" Melody said, walking over to check him out, "Hmm, I guess you'll do. Here's your traditional welcome kiss." Ash kept his face completely neutral as Melody kissed him on the cheek.

A flare of jealousy surged from his left. Ash glanced over to see Cynthia staring daggers at Melody, while Misty looked amused.

Melody then turned and gazed at the rest of them. "Are you his little sister?" she asked, pointing at Misty.

"I'm older than him!" she snarled, bristling.

"Big sister then," Melody responded.

Misty looked over at Ash for a moment, considering him, then shrugged, "Mine as well be."

Ash grinned, "Does that mean I can start calling you Sissy?"

"Don't you dare," Misty growled, causing Ash to laugh.

"And what about you?" Melody asked Cynthia, "Are you his girlfriend?"

Cynthia's expression cooled by 20°. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am."

Ash smiled a little goofily.

"Hah, I knew it!" Misty cheered.

Ash rolled his eyes.

"Hmm, I see," Melody said a little unhappily. "Well, I'll be glad to perform for him at the legend banquet. Starts around 8," she put her sunglasses back on and walked off. She paused and turned back to Cynthia, "Oh and Cynthia, try not to get jealous."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow as Melody sauntered away.

"We have our Chosen One!" the old guy shouted, eliciting cheers from the rest of the islanders.

They started playing their various instruments and led the group up the stairs to the top of the ocean wall and into the village. At the last moment, Ash gazed out into the ocean, spying three islands in the distance. He shuddered, something very bad was happening.

* * *

The group quickly found themselves shepherded to a large banquet hall filled with stone tables covered in fruit and a large stage on one end. Ash, feeling that his normal clothing might be more appropriate due to the strange weather, slipped away to change out of his island clothes before returning to join his friends. What little light there was had been swallowed by the thick clouds, making it seem like night had fallen when it was closer to noon.

Despite the jubilant atmosphere around him, Ash was feeling increasingly uneasy. Next to him Riolu was tenser than a wound up spring, occasionally giving a faint whine.

The sound of a flute suddenly drew their attention. Ash quickly looked around to see Melody, wearing a white dress and a veil over her hair come up to the stage, playing a tune on her flute.

He gasped as the notes of the song she played began resonating with his aura, their power amplifying with every note. For a brief time, the wrongness that he was feeling was driven away by the notes of the music. Next to him, Riolu relaxed and began to smile.

"Ash?" Cynthia asked, noticing his change in posture.

He looked at her, noticing the conflicting emotions in her eyes. Quietly, he began telling her what he was sensing. She frowned as he finished; he could tell that he was thinking rapidly.

"I've heard of Shamouti Island before," she said, "I think there's some kind of a prophecy about the end of the world."

"That makes me feel loads better," Ash said sarcastically.

Suddenly the song ended and the feel of doom descended again. Ash shuddered and Riolu whined as Melody ran over to begin speaking to Ash.

"Hear ye all, from the trio of islands ancient spheres shall you take, for between life and death all the difference you'll make. O' Chosen One, you must climb to the shrine to right what is wrong, and the world will be healed by the guardian's song."

Ash nodded. "Alright, let's go." He stood up.

Melody looked at him in surprise, "What? Oh you don't have to rush, you have all day tomorrow. Tonight's just for the party. Beside's you'll do fine. It's not that hard, almost all of the Chosen One's have come back."

"Melody!" Carol scolded.

Melody waved her hand dismissively at her older sister. "Just sit and relax," she said to Ash.

"I can rest when I'm dead," Ash said, "I need to do this now."

"I like your attitude," Maren said, coming up, "We can take my boat."

"Thanks," Ash said, "Anyone want to come?"

"No thanks baby bro," Misty said with a simpering smile, "have fun with your island hopping." Ash rolled his eyes.

"I'll come," Cynthia said, standing to join him.

Ash smiled at her. Taking her hand they turned to leave the hall with Maren right behind him. They ran down to the docks where Maren's boat had been removed from the beach and tied down. Hopping aboard, Maren started up the engine and they raced out into the open sea. Riolu perched himself on the prow of the boat, ignoring the seaspray as he gaze out into the ocean.

Very soon however the wind started picking up again. Lightning arced across the sky and thunder boomed. Rain began falling and the waves began picking up in strength. Maren fought hard against the waves, doing her best to get them to Fire Island. Soon the rain stopped, yet the waves grew even larger and more powerful and destructive.

Ash, Cynthia, and Riolu huddled together against the wind and sea spray while Maren fought to keep the boat under control. As they neared Fire Island Maren had to move even more carefully to maneuver safely around the various rock spires that jutted out of the sea. The waves grew more powerful, a particularly large one literally flinging the boat into the air and over a spire. There was a crunch coming from the rear of the boat, but no one had a chance to react before they landed back in the water with a splash. The source of the sound quickly became apparent when Maren realized she'd lost all control over the boat.

"The rudder!" she cried in dismay as she futilely spun the wheel.

Another enormous wave swelled beneath the boat, carrying them along as it crashed down on the rocky beach of Fire Island. The wave splashed and the boat crashed, knocking everyone off their feet, and in the case of Cynthia throwing her off the boat entirely. She fell with a scream and landed hard on the beach, hitting her head on the rocks.

"Cynthia!" Ash cried out.

He scrambled to his feet and vaulted over the edge of the boat, landing directly next to his girlfriend. Her eyes were closed and her breathing shallow. He gently lifted her head and felt something wet. Drawing his hands away, his eyes widened at the red that covered his fingers. "No," he breathed.

"Ash!" Maren leapt over the edge of the boat to join him, "Oh my gosh, is she alright?"

"She will be," Ash said firmly. He replaced his hand on the back of her head and concentrated. A light blue glow began emanating from his hand as he fed his energy into Cynthia. For a moment nothing happened. Then, the blood flow began to stop. The wound began to knit itself back together the fractures in her skull sealing.

Maren watched wide-eyed as Ash healed Cynthia. His brow beaded with sweat and his muscles began shaking. Riolu placed his hand on Ash's shoulder and began feeding his own energy into his trainer. Soon Cynthia's breathing began to grow more natural and her eyes fluttered open. "Ash?" she asked weakly.

His eyes flew open in surprise and he stopped healing. A faint glow in his blue irises faded away as he looked tenderly at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said a little dizzily, "I have a headache, but it's going away." She smiled at him, "thank you for healing me."

Ash leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips, their first real kiss. It only lasted for a moment, but it felt like a blissful eternity. Pulling back Ash said, "I love you, and I'm not going to lose you."

She smiled brilliantly at him.

Ash helped her to her feet. Turning to him she said, "Let's go get that treasure."

Leaving a stunned Maren behind, they took off at a jog towards a staircase that led to the top of the mountain, their respective jackets flapping around their feet and Riolu at their heels.

The climb would have been much easier for Ash, who worked out regularly with his Pokémon, had he not just expended so much of his energy healing Cynthia. As it was, by the time they reached the top of the mountain, Ash was panting heavily and sweating profusely as his body attempted to keep itself cool.

They passed through a stone archway and down a couple of steps into a shallow crater at the peak of the mountain. On the far side of the crater stood a shrine dedicated to Moltres, with a statue in a general likeness to the legendary holding a small red orb in its beak. Without any prompt, Ash walked over to the statue and gripped the orb, yanking it free from its resting place.

He gasped as he felt the energies that resided within the crystal resonate with his aura and a small flame burst forth inside of it.

"It's resonating with my aura," he said in awe.

"Is it because your an Aura Guardian?" Cynthia asked.

Ash shook his head, "it would do this even if I wasn't a Guardian. Everyone's aura vibrates at their own unique frequency, the odds of this orb perfectly matching mine are astronomical."

"I suppose that means you really are the chosen one," Cynthia said.

"Do you remember that prophecy?" Ash asked her.

Cynthia's face screwed up in thought. After a moment she quoted, "Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to ash. O Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three. Their treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea."

Ash gazed at her in awe, "How do you remember something like that?"

She blushed, "It has your name in it."

That made Ash choke in surprise but he smiled at her, blushing himself. He considered the lines of the prophecy. _Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning...hmmm._

Suddenly a large red speedboat with a sail came rocketing over the edge of the crater and landed before them with a crash.

Ash stared in shock at the occupants of the boat; Melody, Tracey, and Misty.

"Well I hope your happy Mr. Hero," Melody said, glaring down at him with her hands on her hips, "If you'd just listen to me in the first place and stayed at the party like I told you we wouldn't be stranded out here on this island."

Ash just gaped at her.

"Welcome to my world," Misty said with a sigh.

"Are you alright Ash?" Tracey asked.

Finally Ash snapped out of his daze. "I'm fine. But you need to get out of here, this storm isn't natural. It needs to be stopped."

"What do you mean Ash?" Misty asked.

"The balance of nature has been thrown into chaos," Ash said, "I'm not sure how, but I think the only way to restore the balance is to collect these orbs. That song of Melody's is the key."

"The song of the Guardian?" Melody asked, confused.

"When you played it earlier, it restored the balance temporarily," Ash said, "And I think these orbs might be able to amplify its power to make it permanent."

Before Ash could speak further, a bolt of lightning crashed in the middle of the crater. Ash, Cynthia, and Riolu dove for cover as more bolts came crashing down around them.

Peaking around the edge of the boat, Ash gaped in astonishment as the legendary bird of lightning, Zapdos flew circles around the crater. Every time one of it's thunderbolts struck the ground, a blue glow formed where it hit.

Soon, Zapdos landed atop Moltres' shrine, and the entire island began glowing blue. Ash gasped as he felt the energy of the entire island realign itself to Zapdos. Zapdos was cawing to the sky as if in triumph.

Ash glanced down at Riolu, and saw his Pokémon calling upon his aura as he focused on the legendary. Deciding it couldn't hurt, Ash mimicked him. He called upon his aura and focused on the Legendary. He blinked, suddenly finding himself able to understand exactly what Zapdos was saying.

" _ **Moltres used to rule here, but now that Moltres is gone Lightning shall rule over Fire and I claim this Island as my own from this day forward!"**_

With that, Zapdos exploded with lightning, making everyone duck and cover.

"This is wrong," Ash mumbled, staring at Zapdos, "where is Moltres? Why did he leave his island?"

Quite suddenly, Zapdos' lightning began surging upwards as if a lightning rod was drawing it to itself. Out of the clouds hovering the island, a massive circular airship descended, spikes all around it's center drawing in Zapdos' lighting.

Zapdos cawed angrily as the ship continued to absorb it's lightning. Eventually Zapdos stopped producing its electricity and panted heavily, having lost most of its energy.

A hatch on the bottom of the ship opened releasing several floating diamond shaped rings. They descended upon the crater at high speed, capturing not only Zapdos but the gang as well as Melody's boat.

* * *

 **And thats the end of this chapter...**

 **I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm a horrible person.**

 **I'm going to try to get going again, but I have a question for all of you guys. I'm considering skipping Johto because moving directly to Hoenn might help me write more. I have a new poll on my profile, so if you guys have an opinion please check it out.**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	22. Chapter 22

Ash, Riolu, Cynthia, Misty, Tracey, and Melody found themselves in a large cage. The cage hung suspended in a large opulent room; it's appearance similar to that of a museum, with various exhibits standing proudly in various locations. To their left, they could see Zapdos trapped in a diamond shaped cage, and to their right, was Moltres in its own spherical cage.

"Well, now we know where Moltres went," Ash said.

"What's this?" Melody asked, gazing at a tablet encased in a glass case below them. "'Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash.' Hmm."

In the center of the room, a large column began descending into the floor. At the top of the column a large throne like chair was soon revealed in which a man in opulent robes sat. He had a pleasantly surprised expression on his face, and his entire bearing simply screamed wealth.

"Well, this certainly is a pleasure, though an unexpected one of course," he said in a pleasant voice. He gestured to the two legendary birds he had captured, "What do you think? Moltres the bird of fire, and Zapdos the bird of lightning. Of course without Articuno it's not a complete set."

"That's disgusting," Cynthia shouted, "Pokémon are not things to collect, they're living beings not stamps."

"What kind of trainer are you?" Misty demanded in anger.

"I'm afraid I'm not a trainer young lady, I am merely a collector," he said proudly, obviously not caring what they thought. "I began my collection with a Mew card. Now I have all this. Legendary Pokémon have always been my passion and soon my collection itself will be legendary."

The floor in front of him lit up and projected a holographic Articuno. A computerized voice said, "Sensor's indicate Articuno is changing course."

"And now you'll have to excuse me," he sat back down and his throne began to ascend again.

Ash growled, "We're getting out of here. Zangoose!" He tossed his Poké ball and released Zangoose. "Use Metal Claw to free us," Ash ordered.

"Zang," she nodded. Her claws took on a metallic sheen and she slashed at the cage, breaking it into several pieces and dropping them to the floor.

Melody stood and made her way to the tablet she'd been looking at. "The Legend, could it be true?"

Ash scowled and turned to look at Moltres and Zapdos. "We need to free them."

"Right," Everyone shouted, throwing Pokéballs into the air.

"Garchomp, use Dragon Pulse!" Cynthia shouted.

"Vaporeon, Hydro Pump!" Misty ordered.

"Scyther use Slash!" Tracey called.

"Riolu Brick Break," Ash commanded.

All four Pokémon launched their attacks at one of the cages, however an energy shield sprang into life around the cages, protecting them.

"Keep going guys!" Ash shouted.

There was an explosion as the shields were destroyed and their contents released. Both Zapdos and Moltres screeched and launched their attacks at the windows, blowing a hole wide open in the side of the airship. They both flew out of their holes and started launching attacks on the ship.

"This isn't good," Cynthia said, gazing out the hole Moltres created, watching the destruction unfold before them.

The ship, losing power from the destruction, began to slowly descend, coming to a crash landing on Lightning Island. "Hold on!" Tracey shouted.

The ship hit the island with a bone jarring crash. One of the pillars surrounding it came free, crashing into the wall creating an opening for the five humans to escape through and forming a slope for them to get to the ground with.

"Let's go!" Ash yelled and they broke into a run, racing to the rock before the ship fell off the edge of the cliff. Ash chanced a glance around as they ran. The weather had gotten even worse while they were trapped. The rain had turned to a blizzard, covering everything with snow. The very ocean was frozen over from Articuno's Ice Beams.

The airship started tilting again and one of its propellers smashed into a small shrine they were running passed. The ground shook, knocking everyone off of their feet and a wave of snow washed over and passed them. Ash's senses began tingling, and he looked up to see a small yellow orb sitting innocently in front of him in the snow. Within the sphere, a spark of electricity had ignited and began to crackle within.

"The Lightning Sphere," he murmured, grabbing it and shoving it in his pocket.

"Watch out!' Melody shouted. Zapdos flew over them, launching a continuous Thunderbolt. They all broke into a run again, making for the boat that had miraculously survived the crash and now sat in a nearby pool of water.

As they climbed in, Zapdos flew over again, breaking a hole in the side of the pool where water began spilling out into the ocean. The current began to pull the boat towards the new waterfall, and they were powerless to stop it.

The boat went over the edge and began falling towards the frozen sea.

Suddenly, a massive water spout burst from the ice and caught the boat in midair. It began moving across the water, breaking the ice as it went, heading towards Shamouti Island. As they moved, a sound began resonating from the water that caused Melody to perk up. "What's that?" she asked.

As they reached Shamouti, the waterspout suddenly flung the boat upwards and onto the edge of a high cliff.

"Everybody out," Ash ordered as the boat teetered dangerously on the edge. Tracey grabbed Misty and Melody's hands and helped them out of the boat. Ash wrapped an arm around Cynthia's waist, "Hold on." Coiling his legs and building up his aura, he leapt, soaring out of the boat and only the snow covered rock in a single bound.

Melody gasped, "How did you do that?"

Ash winked at her before turning his attention to where they'd landed, the boat falling to the sea behind them with a crash. Before them stood a large circular shrine, and a Slowking.

Slowking pointed at Ash and said, "Take the treasure," he shifted his pointing digit to the center of the shrine, "and put it there."

Ignoring the fact that this Slowking could apparently speak perfectly in the human tongue, he nodded and climbed to the center of the shrine. Within the center of the shrine was a large mouth carved into the rock. Inside of the mouth were three stands for the spheres to rest, with an opening behind them revealing the island that the sphere's come from.

Ash put them in place just as Slowking came up behind him.

"So your Ash," Slowking said. Ash turned to him, "your one treasure short."

"I know," Ash said, "How did you know my name?"

Moltres' screech drew his attention before Slowking responded. He looked up and watched as the three Legendary birds battled in mid air, launching Thunderbolts, Ice Beams, and Flamethrowers at each other and everything else they could.

They slowly came closer and closer to Shamouti Island, threatening the shrine with their attacks.

"This is bad," Ash said quietly, moving up next to Cynthia.

Suddenly, before the three's attacks could hit Shamouti, the waterspout appeared again right in front of them, larger and more powerful than ever.

Ash senses a powerful presence within, slowly climbing up the spout. It suddenly flared its wings and the water burst away, revealing a massive silver legendary before them.

"The Great Guardian, Lugia!" Slowking said reverently.

"I can't believe it," Melody gasped.

Lugia opened it's mouth and unleashed a melody that echoed across the ocean.

"That sound!" Melody gasped, pulling her flute out. Ash also gasped as the song resonated with his aura, causing a wave of peace to come over him and strengthen him.

Suddenly, all at once, the three elemental birds attacked. Lugia easily dodged, weaving in and out of the Flamethrowers, dropping below the Ice Beams, and shielding against the Thunderbolts.

It dove back into the sea, and emerged a moment later surrounded by another waterspout. This time Articuno was ready and froze the water with an Ice Beam. Lugia broke free a moment later and it began again.

"Though the guardian of the sea shall arise to quell the fighting," Melody recited, "Alone it's song will fail, thus the earth shall turn to Ash."

Ash scowled, "I need to get that last sphere."

There was a sudden screech of pain. Everyone turned in time to see Lugia be hit by all three attacks and fall into the sea. The three titans turned back on each other again, now that Lugia was gone.

"Melody, play your song," Ash said quickly.

"What?" Melody's eyes widened, "Of course, the sound Lugia was making sounds just like the song from the legend."

She brought the flute to her mouth and began playing. The notes resonated across the ocean, but they weren't powerful enough to reach the three quarrelling birds.

Suddenly, Lugia emerged from the ocean again, glowing with multicolor motes and a golden aura.

"The song," he said, his telepathy reaching all of them, "The song has restored my strength. But it alone cannot bring harmony to the three waring ones. When the treasures of fire, ice, and lightning are brought together, my song shall harmonize with their powers and tame the beast both above and below the sea. But this can come to pass only with the help of the chosen one."

Ash nodded, "Alright, let's do this. Dragonair!" He tossed his Poké ball into the air and released his serpentine dragon. He and Riolu leapt onto Dragonair's back and together they flew out across the sea towards Ice Island.

It only took them a few minutes to reach Ice Island, but as they approached, the three Legendary birds suddenly stopped attacking each other. As if sensing Ash's purpose they turned their focus on him and Dragonair, sending powerful Ice Beams, Flamethrowers, and Thunderbolts after them.

"Dodge," Ash shouted. He gripped Dragonair tightly as he twisted and spun in midair, doing his best to avoid getting hit.

Suddenly Lugia descended on them, smashing the three birds away with it's safeguard. Dragonair soared passed the other legendaries and continued to the top of the mountain, landing in an icy crater. Ash and Riolu dismounted and ran up to the shrine, Ash yanking the sphere free.

"Got it, let's go," he said.

Suddenly, Articuno appeared over the crest of the mountain and launched an Ice Beam at Dragonair. It slammed into the Dragon Pokémon, causing him to cry out in pain. The power of the attack, plus his natural weakness to ice caused him to faint on the spot.

Ash grit his teeth, whipping out Dragonair's Poké ball and returning him. "Thanks buddy," he murmured.

Rushing to the edge of the crater, he quickly climbed up to the top. A screech drew his attention and he turned to see Articuno crashing to the ground and not getting up.

Not seeing any other option, Ash said, "Come on Riolu." They climbed over the edge of the crater and started running down the slippery slope.

Suddenly Lugia was next to them, "The treasure?"

"Got it," Ash responded.

Lugia nodded, "Get on."

Stunned that he was allowing it, Ash nevertheless grabbed Riolu and swung himself onto Lugia's neck.

The Diving Pokémon leveled out and soared away back towards Shamouti. "Hold on tight," Lugia warned as he began weaving and dodging the attacks from the two remaining birds.

At one point, Ash glimpsed the ground and saw thousands of Pokémon congregated, all staring at the battle above them.

"If is because they feel they must," Lugia answered Ash's unasked question, "in case they are needed."

With Lugia's superior speed, he was soon able to outstrip Zapdos and Moltres and they soared over the ice towards Shamouti.

Movement in the corner of Ash's eye caught his attention and he turned to see several of the capture rings spinning towards them from the Collector's downed airship.

"Look out!" he tried to shout, but it was too late.

They surrounded Lugia, creating a barrier around them. Lugia screamed in pain as the rings absorbed his energy. He flailed about and it was all he could do to stay on Lugia's back. Riolu gripped his jacket tightly. Lugia suddenly dived into the water, still flailing before surfacing again. A chunk of ice from hit Ash in the head and he fell instantly unconscious. It was only the energy from the prison surrounding Lugia that kept him on the Pokémon.

Riolu struggled to hold on as Lugia, now driven into a frenzy, launched a massive beam of energy at the collectors ship, slicing it in half. He launched another attack into the air, nearly hitting Moltres and Zapdos before he fell, his energy depleted. He crashed back into the ocean and began to sink, the rings coming free as well as Ash and Riolu.

* * *

Ash snapped awake, coughing the water from his lungs.

"Ash!" a voice cried.

He turned over, spitting it all out and breathing heavily as he looked up. Cynthia was looking down at him in concern, and he suddenly realized that his lips were tingling slightly. CPR?

A few feet away, Misty stood, shivering and soaked to the bone with Tracey holding a towel over her shoulders.

"You...saved me," he said weakly.

Cynthia snorted, "Well we weren't going to let you drown."

Groaning, he forced himself to his feet and looked out toward the ocean. The weather had gotten even worse, tornados now surged across the ocean and lightning crackled in the cloudy sky.

Turning, Ash broke into a run, racing up the steps towards the shrine. He ignored the cries of his friends to come back, concentrating on maintaining his balance and not collapsing.

"He's back!" Melody cried as he came running in.

"Have you brought the final treasure Ash?" Slowking asked.

Ash nodded and climbed up to the shrine, placing the Ice Sphere between its two brethren.

Stepping back, Ash watched as the three sphere's started resonating with one another, their energies fusing together and filling with space with a green light. The ancient text, unown letters, that was carved into the bottom of the shrine began glowing the same green color and a wave of energy burst from them, blowing the snow away.

Green glowing water began pouring from the base of the central spire, filling the crevices of the shrine and surrounding the pillars that surrounded them. The Pillars themselves absorbed the energy from the water and turned to crystal that glowed slightly with an inner power.

"The Song," Misty said to Melody. She nodded and ran up to join Ash in front of the treasures.

Bringing the flute to her mouth, she began to play. With each note, one of the pillars lit up as they amplified the power of the song. It resonated across the sky, echoing to every corner of the globe and creating a sense of peace over all the world. The weather began to calm, the wind dying and the tornados vanishing. The three Legendary birds' rage quelled and they took back to the sky, flying together in peace and harmony. The green water continued to pour, overflowing from the shrine and pouring out into the ocean. The moment the water touched the ocean, the energy raced out across the water, melting the ice and calming the raging waters beneath.

Sunlight began breaking through the dark clouds as they cleared. In another massive waterspout, Lugia burst out of the ocean once again. He called out his song in concert with melody as he flew with the three birds. Around and around he went, before finally coming to a landing on the edge of the cliff in front of Ash. He gazed at Ash for several moments, before gesturing for the boy to climb onto his back.

Blinking, Ash stared at Lugia in awe, "You want me to join you?"

"It would be my honor," Lugia replied.

Stunned, Ash climbed onto Lugia's back, situating himself at the base of his neck. Riolu positioned himself in front of Ash, a wide grin on his face.

Lugia took off again, and together they flew across the sky, quickly being joined by the three Legendary Birds. Distantly they heard Misty's Pikachu crying after them happily.

Ash laughed with delight, "This is amazing!" he shouted.

"Ri ri!" Riolu yelled in agreement.

Lugia suddenly went into a dive and skimmed across the surface of the sea before sharply ascending. A surge of water suddenly burst out of the ocean, the current underneath the ocean being brought into the air. It moved across the sky in turning rapids as the four Legendaries flew around it.

Down below in the ocean, all of the Pokémon that had come were now returning to their home, land dwelling Pokémon hitching a ride on the backs of various water types and flying types soaring into the horizon.

As Melody's song came to an end, the massive water current returned to the ocean. The pillars returned to their natural appearance and the flow of water came to a stop. Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres returned to their homes.

Lugia landed back on the cliff and allowed Ash to slide off.

Lifting back into the air, Lugia spoke, "The beast of the sea has been tamed. The fate of the world could not have been in better hands." With a last nod to Ash, he turned and dove back into the ocean with a splash.

"We did it," Cynthia said quietly, coming up to Ash's side.

Ash twined his fingers into hers with a smile on his face, "You saved my life. Thank you."

Cynthia blushed suddenly, "Well, Misty was the one who swam out and Tracey pulled you both in."

Ash just smiled, "But you're the one who kissed me back to life."

"I was returning the favor," Cynthia said, smiling at him.

Ash started leaning towards her when he heard his name being called by a very familiar person.

"Mom!" he yelped, jumping back and turning to stare incredulously. His own mother, followed by Sam and Professor Ivy, was climbing down the cliff that backed the sacred shrine and running towards him.

Stopping right in front of him she put her arms on her hips and glared down at him, "You young man are in big trouble, what did I tell you about getting yourself into dangerous situations?"

"To be more careful," Ash responded, "I didn't overuse my aura mom."

"You still fell from the back of a legendary Pokémon and into an icy sea," she said angrily, "I have half a mind to ground you when you get back home."

Ash swallowed. He knew no matter how old or powerful he got, his mother would still be the scariest thing he ever faced.

"But, Mrs. Ketchum, Ash just helped save the world," Misty argued halfheartedly.

"Oh yeah, well I nearly lost my whole world," Delia said.

Ash pulled her into a hug. He gently released waves of love and comfort through his aura, and he felt her respond in the way a non aura user had to; she hugged him tighter.

"I love you mom, and I don't go searching for danger," Ash said, "but if danger finds me, it's my duty to help in any way I can."

Delia sighed, "I know that sweetie, but I still worry about you."

"I know mom," Ash said, "I promise that I'll always come home."

They were silent for several moments, until Sam completely ruined the moment.

"Come on!" he said excitedly to Professor Ivy, "We need to get back to Pallet Town and tell the other Pokémon researchers about this!"

Ash pulled back and sighed at the old Professor.

* * *

"I'm afraid I have to go Ash," Cynthia said. They stood on the pier of Shamouti Island, waiting for Maren to finish checking out her newly repaired boat. She'd had it towed in from Fire Island, and it was simple enough to repair the rudder so now she was ready to finish taking them to Kumquat Island.

"I'll miss you," Ash said, hugging her.

She hugged him tightly back, "I'll miss you too. Good luck with your last Gym Battle."

"Thanks," Ash said.

They shared a chaste kiss, blushing brilliantly, before Cynthia turned and started walking to the airport located on the far side of Shamouti. In her hand she clutched a rolled up piece of paper, the sketch that Tracey had made of her and Ash on the bow of Maren's boat.

"Come on, hurry up loverboy!" Misty shouted.

Ash blushed even more, even as he rolled his eyes and turned to board the boat with Misty and Tracey. He scowled at a sniggering Riolu, "Laugh it up fuzzball."

As the boat sped away from the island, Ash turned and saw a small figure up at the altar to Lugia. It was Maren, back in her normal clothes. She was standing on the edge of the cliff, playing her flute.

* * *

It took them half a day to reach Kumquat Island. When they did, they waved goodbye to Maren and went off in search of a Pokémon Center.

"This place is supposed to have great hotels, a beautiful beach, and natural hot springs," Tracey was saying.

"Oh that's wonderful!" Misty said, "That way even if Ash loses we'll get to have some fun."

"You're confidence in me is overwhelming Misty," Ash said dryly.

"Ri ri ri," Riolu said in the same tone.

"Glad I could help," Misty said sweetly.

Rolling his eyes, Ash pulled out his Pokénav Plus and scouted out the Pokémon Center. After getting their Pokémon healed, Ash lead the group over to the Kumquat Gym. They came to a stop in front of a massive luxury hotel, aptly named the Kumquat Hotel.

"According to my Pokénav this is the gym," Ash said a bit incredulously.

"Are you sure?" Misty said, "Because it looks like a hotel."

"Well Danny's gym was an entire Mountain," Tracey said, "So a hotel doesn't seem too unlikely."

"Let's head in and check it out," Ash said, shrugging.

As they entered they were bowed in by a virtual army of bellmen, and were instantly greeted by a woman with short red hair wearing a long blue dress with a yellow coat over it.

"Hello," she said pleasantly, "Welcome to my hotel. How can I help you?"

"Actually we were looking for the Kumquat Gym," Ash said.

The woman smiled, "Well you've come the right place, I'm Luana the Kumquat Gym Leader. Will you be the one challenging me?"

"Yes ma'am," Ash said, "My name is Ash, and this is my buddy Riolu. These are Misty and Tracey."

"It's nice to meet you all, and I'll be happy to accept," Luana said, "We can have our match tomorrow, until then all challengers get to stay at the hotel for free as my personal guests."

Misty gasped, "Really? That's amazing!"

She turned to a man next to her, "Sheldon, please prepare a deluxe suite."

"Right away ma'am," he replied.

"Follow me," Luana said, "I'll give you a quick tour and show you the battlefield."

"Great," Ash said.

They followed Luana through the hotel, observing various exercise rooms filled with both Pokémon and humans training.

"You must get a lot of trainers here," Tracey commented, "These facilities are amazing."

"Why thank you young man," Luana said, "And you're right. Here's the battlefield."

They entered a large stadium filled with at least ten rows of seating and a large regulations battlefield in the center.

"This is the nicest gym I've ever seen," Tracey said in awe.

"Thank you Tracey," Luana said, "Ash, the rules of my gym are simple. We both use two Pokémon in a double battle, and the first person to knock out both of his or her opponent's Pokémon wins."

Ash grinned, "A double battle, sweet. I'll be ready."

"Excellent," Luana said happily.

* * *

The next day, after a relaxing evening enjoying the hotels various luxuries, Ash stood in the battlebox across from Luana. Sheldon, the hotel manager, stood in the judge's box and began to officiate the match.

"This will be a two on two double battle between Gym Leader Luana of the Orange Crew and Challenger Ash of Pallet Town. The match will be over when both of one trainers Pokémon are unable to battle, furthermore no substitutions will be allowed. Trainers, release your Pokémon."

"Here are the Pokémon I'm using Ash," Luana announced, tossing two Poké balls to the field. "Alakazam, Marowak." The Poké balls burst open, releasing said Pokémon to the field.

"And I choose Ivysaur and Haunter, to the battlefront!" Ash shouted, releasing his own two Pokémon.

"Let the battle begin!"

"Go!" Luana shouted, "Marowak use Bonemerang on Ivysaur, Alakazam use Psychic on Haunter!"

Marowak threw its bone club and it spun through the air towards Ivysaur. At the same time, Alakazam lifted its spoon and launched a wave of psychic energy towards Haunter.

"Protect," Ash ordered.

Both of his Pokémon reacted immediately, forming a green convex shield before themselves. Both the attacks bounced harmlessly off of the forcefields, doing no damage.

"Quick, now Haunter use Shadow Ball on Alakazam, and Ivysaur use Magical Leaf on Marowak," Ash ordered.

"Alakazam use Light Screen," Luana shouted in response.

Haunter formed a powerful orb of shadow energy and lobbed it at the Psychic type. Ivysaur formed a cyclone of multicolored glowing leaves and launched them in a wave towards Marowak.

Alakazam thrust its spoons outward and a glowing gold energy shield formed before both itself and Marowak. The attacks slammed into the Light Screen, causing both Alakazam and Marowak to wince in pain, but the damage was greatly reduced.

"Excellent, now Marowak use Take Down on Ivysaur!" Luana ordered.

Marowak charged at Ivysaur, moving too fast for Ash to counter. He slammed hard into Ivysaur, causing the grass type to cry out in pain.

"Look out!" Ash tried to shout, but was too slow.

"Alakazam, use Psybeam on Haunter!" Luana continued.

"Quick Ivysaur use Seed Bomb on Marowak!" Ash called.

Both Pokémon launched their attacks at the same time. Ivysaur launched several oval shaped attacks from his flower bud and they slammed into Marowak.

"Maro!" it cried out, the grass type attacks blasting it across the field.

Alakazam crossed it's spoons and fired a powerful beam of multicolored psychic energy. It surged across the field and hit Haunter with an explosion.

"Hauunter!" the ghost type cried out painfully.

Ash grit his teeth, this wasn't going well. "Ivysaur use Toxic on Alakazam!" he ordered.

Ivysaur instantly spewed a stream of purple liquid at Alakazam. The Psi Pokémon barely had a moment to react when the liquid splashed against its body.

"Kazaaaam!" It cried out as the poison surged through its body, sapping its strength.

"Haunter use Shadow Punch on Marowak!" Ash quickly ordered.

Haunter seemingly sprang back to life and literally threw his fist at Marowak. It surged through the air and slammed painfully into Marowak's chest, drawing a surprised cry of pain as it crashed into the ground.

"Marowak, quick use Bonemerang at Ivysaur," Luana ordered, "Alakazam use Psychic on Haunter!"

Marowak grunted but quickly got back to its feet and threw it's bone at Ivysaur. At the same time, Alakazam pointed its spoons at Haunter and a blue glow enveloped the ghost.

"Haunter!" he cried in pain as the attack did super effective damage.

Marowak's bone spun through the air, but Ivysaur reacted quickly without orders. He extended his vine and slapped it against the bone, deflecting it away.

"Great job Ivysaur, now quickly use Venoshock on Alakazam!" Ash ordered.

"Saur," he nodded. Aiming his flower bud at Alakazam, he shot a stream of poisonous green liquid at Alakazam. It impacted against Alakazam and it screamed in pain. The psychic aura around Haunter faded as Alakazam lost his concentration.

"Quick Haunter use Dark Pulse!" Ash ordered.

Haunter shook himself to clear his head and launched the attack, a beam of gyrating black rings surged across the field and slammed into Alakazam with an explosion. The psychic type went flying across the field and landed with a crash at Luana's feet

"Alakazam is unable to battle," Sheldon announced.

"No, Alakazam!" Luana shouted, "Quick Marowak use Bone Rush!"

"Ivysaur, finish it with Leaf Storm!"

Marowak charged at Ivysaur, its bone raised high. But Ivysaur was faster, he formed a swirling storm of glowing leaves around himself and launched it at Marowak. It blasted into the ground type and sent it flying halfway across the field, where it lay without moving.

"Marowak is unable to battle, Ivysaur and Haunter are the winners," Sheldon announced, "The victor is Ash of Pallet Town!"

"Yes!" Ash cheered, rushing out to hug his Pokémon. He wrapped his arms around Haunter first, ignoring the faint chill from the ghost type, before turning to Ivysaur and hugging him as well. "Thanks so much guys," he said.

Suddenly, Ivysaur burst into brilliant blue/white light. Ash gasped in surprise, backing up to give him room. Ivysaur grew larger and larger until he was easily as tall as Ash, the flower bud on his back bloomed into a beautiful flower sitting atop a short trunk. Soon, the energy burst away to reveal a newly evolved Venusaur to the world.

Ash's gaping face soon turned to a proud grin; he hugged his pokémon tightly, "You look amazing Ivy...I mean Venusaur. Congratulations."

"Venus, venusaur," the Pokémon responded happily, making Ash's grin grow bigger.

"Haunter, haunter haunter haun," Haunter whined.

Ash laughed and hugged the ghost again, "Don't worry bud, if you want to evolve I'll help you make it happen."

"Haunter!" he said happily.

"Well congratulations Ash," Luana said, coming up to him, "you did a fine job. As the Leader of the Kumquat gym and member of the Orange Crew, it's my honor to give you the Jade Star Badge as proof of your victory. Well done."

She handed him the badge, and Ash took it with a smile, "Thank you ma'am."

She smiled, "Good luck Ash."

* * *

 **Thus ends Chapter 22.**

 **I'm going to try to get back on my normal schedule of updates every Friday.**

 **Thank you everyone who voted on the poll over the last couple of days. I've heard your opinions and I've decided I'm not going to skip Johto. However, I am going to put it off. Ash will get his journey through Johto after he competes in the Battle Frontier. I'd actually like to thank the reviewer** PhenioxMaster for giving me the idea.

 **Thank you everyone who put up with my long absence.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	23. Chapter 23

"What are you doing? You're not going to drink that water are you?"

Ash turned his attention from the horizon to see Tracey scooping up some sea water into a glass bottle.

"Oh no Misty," Tracey replied, "This water is purely for Pokémon research purposes."

"Pika!" Pikachu suddenly shouted.

"What is it Pikachu?" Misty asked.

"Ri ri," Riolu said, pointing into the water below them.

The group looked over Lapras' shell to see a large dark shape moving through the water below them.

"Whoa, what is that?" Misty asked worriedly.

"Whatever it is, it's big," Tracey said.

"Relax guys, it's just a Submarine," Ash said, his eyes glowing slightly as he examined the craft with his aura sight.

The surf suddenly broke in front of them as the submarine surfaced. A small man came up out of the top hatch and gazed around for a moment before pulling different equipment out and taking various readings. The gang watched him in confusion until he suddenly noticed them, "Ah company," he said, "You're here just in time for the rush hour!"

"Huh?" everyone asked.

The man nodded to them, "If my observations are correct, we're about to see one of the most astounding scenes ever scene on the sea."

Ash blinked, "Try saying that five time fast," he muttered.

The man held a pair of binoculars up to his eyes, "Now we'll see what we shall see."

Misty was confused, "What could happen out here in the ocean?"

"I don't know, but let's stick around and find out," Tracey said.

The water beneath them suddenly became extremely rough. Lapras cried out as she tried to stay balance in the water as it surged beneath her. The man in the sub was laughing with delight, "They're here, they're here!" he said.

The sea erupted all around them, and hundreds upon hundreds of Magikarp burst from the water. There were literally thousands of the orange fish, swimming along in the same direction.

Tracey gasped quietly, "Hey, what are those colored bands?"

Ash blinked as he noticed the same thing, nearly half of the magikarp around them had some kind of colored bands strapped at the base of their tailfins; some were red, some were blue, and some were yellow.

"If my calculations are correct, I know exactly where they are going." With that he dropped back into his submarine and motored off in the same direction as the magikarp.

"Would someone explain to me what exactly is going on here?" Misty asked faintly.

"I'm not sure, but if if my guess is correct these Magikarp are heading to a deserted island called Rind Island," Tracey said.

Ash pulled out his Pokénav and scanned his map. "Let's go Lapras, I want to find out what these Magikarp are doing."

It took them an hour to reach the island. They quickly disembarked from Lapras' back and Ash returned her. "Alright Riolu, let's find these Magikarp," Ash said to his buddy.

They clasped hands and sent out their aura. It only took them a moment to discover where the magikarp were and they ran off with Tracey and Misty on their heals. They soon came across a large river that was literally filled with Magikarp.

"Wow, they're all swimming upstream," Misty said.

"I've heard about this, but I never thought I'd get the chance to see it," Tracey said.

"Ri ri," Riolu said.

"But why?" Ash questioned, "Whole schools of Pokémon don't just decide to swim upstream on a deserted Island for no reason."

"Ah, just what I've been looking for: non-union labor," a voice behind them said.

They all turned to see the man from the submarine standing behind them. He was even shorter up close, and he carried a huge bundle of boxes and equipment on his back. "Come on," he said, marching towards them, "There's no time to organize now." without warning, he grabbed boxes from his pack and shoved one into each of their arms.

"Now, follow me." Without so much as a by your leave he turned and started marching up along the river bank.

Everyone blinked before scrambling to keep up with him.

"Um excuse me," Misty said, "But who exactly are you?"

"Why the last time I looked I was Quincy T. Quackenpoker," the man responded.

Ash blinked, "The famous Pokémon Watcher?"

"Well I don't like to toot my own horn," Dr. Quackenpoker replied.

"That's a rather unusual name," Misty said, trying not to laugh.

"Everyone in my family is named Quackenpoker, at least on my mother's side," he replied.

"And why are you here?" Ash asked.

"Why to watch the Magikarp of course," Quackenpoker replied, "they are my life's work."

"I knew it," Tracey said, "If a famous Pokémon Watcher like Dr. Quackenpoker thinks Magikarp are worth a life of study then there must be something I can learn from them too."

He put his box down and pulled out his drawing pad to make a sketch. However as he was scribbling out an image of one of the Pokémon, another leapt into the air and landed with a splash, getting Tracey all wet and knocking him on his back.

"The first thing you learn from watching Magikarp is to use a waterproof pen and paper," Dr. Quackenpoker stated.

"Thanks, doctor" Tracey said faintly.

"Come on, you can't lie there like a log all day, we have observations to make," Dr. Quackenpoker said before moving on.

* * *

Dropping their boxes in exhaustion, Ash and Misty watched as Dr. Quackenpoker began setting up a large camera like device.

"Would somebody please tell me what's so special about watching Magikarp?" Misty asked desperately, "They're boring! If you've seen one Magikarp you've seen them all if you ask me."

Ash smiled as he pulled out his Pokénav and looked up Magikarp. "It's a good thing no one asked you then. I would have thought that a water Pokémon trainer would have found Magikarp at least mildly interesting."

Misty glared at him. "Fine, lets go see what's so amazing about Magikarp."

They went over to the two pokémon watchers. Dr. Quackenpoker's machine had printed out a readout of its findings and Ash peered over the doctor's shoulder to look at it. "Whoa," he said, "That's impressive. How did you get such a sensitive scanner?"

"I built it myself naturally," Dr. Quackenpoker replied, "It's designed specifically for magikarp."

"What does it do?" Tracey asked, "Count the number of Magikarp?"

"Way more than that," Ash said.

"Ash is correct, in fact it measures and analyzes 32 different factors including fin length, bone structure, muscle density, not to mention size/weight ratios, and oxygen efficiency quotients."

"Would you mind if I looked at your findings?" Ash asked.

"Not at all young man," Quackenpoker handed him the sheet, "Are you a researcher?"

"Field," Ash replied.

"Hmm I see, who's your sponsor?"

"Professor oak."

Dr. Quackenpoker nodded, "an intelligent man. You'll do well by him I'm sure."

"I am sir," Ash replied.

"Were you the one who put this hands on the Magikarps tails doctor?" Tracey asked.

He nodded, "they tell me when the Magikarp left here."

"How does that work?" Misty asked.

"The one with the red bands left a year ago, the blue one left two years ago, and the yellow ones left three years ago."

"I wonder why the Magikarp leave," Tracey said.

"I'm getting there," said an irritated Dr. Quackenpoker.

He cleared his throat.

"The magikarp are born in the waters around this island and swim out to sea as they mature. But once a year no matter where they are they return here to the place of their birth. And I return here to study them all." He turned to Tracey, "A young Pokémon Watcher like yourself must find this really interesting."

"Oh yes, but how did you know I was a Pokémon Watcher?" Tracey asked in confusion.

"With that sketch pad and those binoculars it was quite obvious," the doctor replied, "now let's have a look at your sketchbook."

While Tracey was pulling out his sketchbook to show Dr. Quackenpoker, Ash wandered over to the bank to get a closer look at the Magikarp. A sudden and unnaturally rapid splashing caught his attention and he looked upstream in surprise. A Magikarp, one with a yellow band on its tail, had become stuck. A low hanging tree branch jutting out over the river had snagged the band and trapped the Magikarp in place.

Ash broke into a sprint with Riolu at his side. "Hang on there Magikarp," he called out. Grabbing onto the branch, he carefully crawled out over the river until he was just above the Magikarp.

"Karp karp karp karp karp," the Pokémon was saying repeatedly as it struggled.

Crossing his legs over the branch, Ash swung down and hung next to the Magikarp. "Calm down Magikarp, I'll have you out of there in just a moment."

The Magikarp relaxed slightly, still 'karp'ing away. Ash gently worked the band free of the branch. Almost absently he noticed a small scar on its side in the shape of a 'Y'. Soon the Magikarp was free. The Fish Pokémon fell into the water with a splash before springing back out happily.

Ash laughed. "You're welcome," he said.

He watched as the Magikarp leapt out of the water one last time before joining its brethren on their journey upstream.

* * *

"Wow, they're swimming up the waterfall," Misty said in wonderment.

"I'm still trying to figure out why they are all swimming upstream," Ash said.

"I get it," Tracey said, mostly to himself, "While the Magikarp are swimming the oceans they're building up their strength to get to the top of the falls."

"Yeah," Dr. Quackenpoker said, "unfortunately half the Magikarp don't make a very strong showing. My studies indicate that fifty percent of the Magikarp are still too weak to make it up the waterfall."

"What happen to the ones that don't make it?" Tracey asked.

"They do what that one there is doing, they keep trying," he replied, pointing at a particular Magikarp with a blue band. As they watched the Magikarp struggled to make it up the fall, but before it could make it halfway it's strength waned and it fell back down. "Everything takes time Magikarp," Dr. Quackenpoker shouted, then almost as an afterthought he added, "it took me three years to grow this mustache."

Ash blinked, looking incredulously at the watcher.

"Swimming like this is almost like Pokémon Training," Tracey commented.

"My Pokémon would be in trouble if that was the best they could do," Ash said as another Magikarp fell from the falls. "Though I've gotta give them props for persistence."

"You'll all be in trouble if I miss the Magikarp evolve," Dr. Quackenpoker said, "let's go, get a move on." Turning he continued the trek.

"Evolve?" Everyone shouted in shock.

* * *

They hiked the rest of the way to the top of the island where a large lake rested. Dr. Quackenpoker set up all of his equipment and began taking readings of the various Magikarp out in the lake.

"When do you think they are going to evolve Dr. Quackenpoker?" Ash asked as the group gazed out into the lake.

"I'm sure I don't know," the Watcher replied, "remember patience is very important, especially for a doctor. As a matter of fact many of these Magikarp won't be evolving. They will simply have to wait until they get stronger, which could take years."

Ash nodded in understanding. "Well if we have time, I think I'll get some training in. Hey Misty, wanna battle?"

"Sure," she said, grinning at the chance for some training of her own. Looking around she spotted an inlet further down the shoreline that would be perfect for a water battle. "Doctor, would the Magikarp mind if we had a battle over there?"

"Hmm?" Dr. Quackenpoker looked to where she was pointing. "Oh I'm sure they won't mind. In fact they may come to watch."

"Cool," Ash said, "let's go!"

They moved to opposite sides of the inlet and grabbed poké balls for their battle.

"Wartortle, to the battlefront!" Ash called, throwing his Poké ball.

"Goldeen I choose you!" Misty called.

Both Pokémon burst free of their Poké balls and landed in the water.

"Goldeen use Supersonic!" Misty called immediately.

"Goldeen!" the Pokémon responded. She launched a ring of sound energy from her horn straight towards Wartortle.

"Dodge it and use Water Gun!" Ash called.

Wartortle surged through the water, dodging the attack and launching a jet of compressed water at Goldeen. It smashed into Goldeen's side sending her crashing through the water.

"Goldeen!" Misty called, "Quick use Horn Attack!"

Goldeen quickly recovered and surged through the water, smashing horn first into Wartortle's side.

"Tortle!" he cried out.

"Quick use Rapid Spin!" Ash called out.

Wartortle retreated into his shell and started spinning at high speed. He smashed into Golden, drawing a cry of pain from her.

"Use Water Gun Goldeen!" Misty ordered.

Goldeen launched a stream of pressurized water at Wartortle. It impacted against his side, blasting him out of the water, where he landed slightly dazed next to Ash.

"Alright!" Misty cheered.

Ash grinned, "Great job Misty!"

"Thanks!" she called back.

Suddenly a bright light drew their attention. Goldeen was glowing brightly.

"She's evolving!" Misty said in awe.

Goldeen grew larger, her tail fin more fuller, a dorsal ridge grew atop her body and her horn grew larger. When the energy faded, a newly evolved Seaking was revealed.

"Seaking!" she called out.

"Oh my gosh that's awesome!" Misty cheered. She leapt into the water and hugged her Pokémon.

"Congratulations Misty," Ash said proudly.

"Yes I quite agree," Dr. Quackenpoker said, walking up. "That's a very well cared for Seaking. Just look at the shine on her horn."

Misty smiled, blushing lightly at the praise, "Thanks Ash, Dr. Quackenpoker."

* * *

Later that evening Misty was serving some tea. They had set up a camp in preperation of waiting overnight. Ash was sitting on the shoreline with Riolu, their legs crossed together and their eyes closed in meditation.

Dr. Quackenpoker had been observing them quietly when he suddenly said, "I've never seen a trainer with a more symbiotic relationship with his Pokémon."

Misty smiled, looking over at her friend, "Yeah, they are amazingly close." She broke off a piece of her riceball and turned to Togepi, "Open up Togepi!"

Togepi opened it's small mouth wide and Misty deposited the piece. She chewed before swallowing and trilling happily, waving her hand.

"Pika pika," Pikachu said, nodding in agreement with Togepi. He was sitting next to her, eating his own riceball. He had really become a bit of a big brother to Togepi, always looking after her when Misty was busy with something else.

"Well this one's a cutie," Dr. Quackenpoker said, gently stroking one of the spikes on Togepi's head. She froze when he touched her, then trilled excitedly at the contact.

Misty giggled, "I didn't know Togepi was so ticklish."

"Togepi just like being petted on their front spike," Dr. Quackenpoker explained.

"Like this?" Misty said, gently rubbing the spike. Togepi trilled happily, making Misty laugh.

"Magikarp arent' the only Pokémon you study are they Doctor?" Tracey asked.

Dr. Quackenpoker gave a laugh, "All Pokémon interest me Tracey, but Magikarp are by far my favorites."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Yes, when I was a boy I woke up one day and saw a Magikarp in my pajamas. How a Magikarp got in my pajamas, I'll never know."

Ash cracked an eye to look incredulous at the man. He was coming to the conclusion that the man deserved both his name and title; brilliant and a nutcase.

Suddenly the Magikarp in the lake started moving around in a frenzy, leaping from the water with increasing frequency and agitation. Ash began sensing a buildup of energy in the lake and knew it was about to begin. He scrambled to his feet and reached for his Pokénav, Professor Oak was going to flip when he saw this video.

"What's going on?" He heard Misty ask.

"The Magikarp sense something is about to happen, something very exciting," Dr. Quackenpoker explained.

They watched in silence as a bright glow began forming within the lake. In the center, a whirlpool began forming, growing larger and faster. Then, suddenly it erupted out of the water in a huge waterspout. Magikarp began leaping from the waterspout and began transforming, landing in the water below as fully evolved Gyarados.

"Oh wow," Misty gasped in awe.

Eventually it was over and the cyclone faded. Now swimming around the lake amongst the Magikarp were dozens upon dozens of Gyarados. As one the whole school of Pokémon began moving towards one of the rivers that lead out of the island.

Dr. quackenpoker turned to Tracey, "I need an experienced Pokémon Watcher to help me count. You count the ones with the blue and red rings and I'll do the yellow rings." He tossed Tracey two counters.

"Sure," Tracey said after a moment.

They ran off after the Magikarp with Misty on their heels. Ash however was distracted by a wake forming in the lake, heading straight for him. With a splash a Gyarados erupted from the water before him.

Ash took a step back in shock. Riolu leapt in front of him and growled. The Gyarados however just lowered its head and gazed at Ash with an odd expression. Ash put a hand on Riolu's head to calm him down and took a tentative step towards the Gyarados, he ignored Riolu's whine of protest.

His eyes raked over the Gyarados's form. He noted its white barbels that marked it as a female. There was a yellow ring on its tail that had stretched to near breaking and he suspected that it would simply snap free soon. Then he noticed a small scar on its side. His eyes shot back to its face. "You're the Magikarp that I helped."

"Gyaaaa," she roared, nodding and looking pleased he'd figured it out.

Tentatively he reached out and touched her crest. He gave a laugh when Gyarados closed her eyes and gave a friendly rumble. It grew even louder when he started petting her, and he realized that she was purring. "This is incredible," he said to himself. More loudly he said to her, "you are amazing Gyarados. And you look really strong too."

She rumbled louder still, making Ash laugh.

Riolu grabbed his sleeve and pulled on it, "ri ri riolu ri," he said, pointing in the direction his friends had run off in.

"You're right," Ash said. "I gotta go Gyarados. Congratulations on evolving, bye!" He ran off with Riolu.

They arrived on a bluff looking over the ocean just as the school of Gyarados and Magikarp moved out of sight.

"That was amazing," Misty said.

"Pika," her Pikachu said in agreement.

"Alright Tracey give me your numbers," Dr. Quackenpoker said.

"Sure," Tracey said. He did a couple of calculations, then said excitedly, "Doctor, over seventy percent of the Magikarp have evolved."

"That's the most Magikarp that have ever evolved," Quackenpoker responded in the same tone, "Tracey we've made a momentous observation! Thanks to you I've come much closer to understanding Magikarp."

"And thanks to you I've had the honor of working with one of the greatest Pokémon watchers in the world!" Tracey replied.

Quackenpoker laughed, "Haha, work hard and you'll be great too." He patted Tracey on the arm.

"Thanks," Tracey said gratefully.

As they surfed away from Rind Island on Dragonair's back, none of them noticed the wake following them through the water, nor the small blue spike that broke the surface of the water momentarily.

* * *

Ash grunted in annoyance as he carried Tracey over his shoulder back to the cabin. "What possessed you to get that close to a Vileplume?" He demanded, "you know they expel their Stun Spore at the slightest provocation."

"Wasn't...expecting...the Raticate..." Tracey grunted out through his paralysis.

"Expect the unexpected," Ash said, "isn't that the motto of Pokémon Watchers everywhere?"

Misty gasped when Ash entered the cabin with Tracey in a fireman's carry over his shoulder.

"What happened?" She asked, helping Ash lay Tracey down on his sleeping pad.

"This numbskull was drawing a Vileplume when a Raticate burst out of the brush and scared the Vileplume. Of course it expelled its Stun Spore and Tracey was too close to get out of the way and got a lungfull."

"Oh Tracey, you should no better than to get so close to a Vileplume," Misty sighed.

"Sorry...guys..." Tracey said.

Ash shook his head, "Whatever. Let's get you healed, hopefully I'll have a paralysis cure in my bag."

He started rooting through his bag and nearly swore when he found nothing. "I'm out, Misty how about you?"

She rooted through her own bag and pulled out a couple of bandaids. "Nope," she sighed, "I guess we'll have to go to the Pokémon Center to get some medicine."

"It's thirty miles away on another island," Ash said, shaking his head, "we'll have to find a cure ourselves. Misty, look around for some clear lakes, preferably with a Poliwag. There should be Salveo Weed on the lakebed, we can boil it and that'll cure Tracey."

Misty nodded, "What are you doing to do?"

"Search for some Cherri berries."

* * *

After scouring nearly the whole Island, Ash returned empty-handed. As he entered the cabin he found Misty boiling a small pot with chopped Salveo weed next to it.

"Oh you found it," Ash said with relief.

"Yep," Misty said happily, "Poliwag here helped me."

Ash blinked, now noticing the happy Poliwag standing next to Misty. "Nice, did you catch it?"

"Yes I did," Misty said proudly.

"Congrats," Ash said. He crouched down, "Hi Poliwag. I'm Ash."

"Poli!" it greeted happily.

Misty poured the salveo weed tea into a small mug and helped Tracey drink it.

The effect was almost instantaneous, the paralysis weared off and Tracy stood stretching. "Ah, that's much better, thanks Misty."

"So did you learn your lesson?" Ash asked lightly, a grin on his face.

Tracey chuckled, a blush on his face, "Yeah, always stay downwind of a Vileplume."

* * *

The gang sailed on Lapras' back, drawing steadily closer to Pummelo Island, home to the Supreme Gym Leader of the Orange Crew. Situated at the top of the island was an enormous Coliseum.

"There it is, Pummelo Island," Tracey said.

"Are you ready for this?" Misty said, "This will be your hardest match yet."

"As ready as I can be," Ash said.

"Ri riolu ri!" Riolu added.

"Exactly buddy," Ash said, rubbing Riolu between his ears and drawing a happy sigh from the fighting type.

"Hey what's that?" Misty said suddenly.

They all turned to see a large shape flying in the distance. It was moving incredibly fast right over the surface of the ocean, leaving a wake in the water behind it. Then suddenly it shot up into the air and out of sight.

"What was that?" Misty asked.

"I'm not sure," Tracey said, "I couldn't get a clear view through my binoculars."

"Whatever it is, it's powerful," Ash said.

* * *

Once on Pummelo Island, they went to the Pokémon Center and got directions to the registration building.

As they entered Ash looked around, instantly spotting the Dragonite statue standing against the wall. "Cool," he said.

Walking up to the desk he pulled out his four badges, "I'm here to battle for the Orange League trophy."

"Another one eh?" the man said, "Let me just scan these and we'll get you set up."

He ran a scanner over the four badges and turned to his computer. "Well now it says here you've come all the way from Pallet Town Mr. Ash Ketchum. Is that right?"

"Yes sir," Ash said.

The man typed a few more things into his computer before turning back to Ash. "Okay Mr. Ketchum, your winner's trophy match is scheduled for tomorrow at ten o'clock sharp at Pummelo Stadium."

"Awesome, thanks," Ash said, "What are the rules for this match going to be?"

"It's going to be a six-on-six Pokémon match," he replied.

Ash nodded, expecting nothing less for a match of this importance.

Turning he saw Tracey sketching the Dragonite statue in the corner. Curious, Ash asked, "what's with all of the Dragonites?"

"Oh that's just because of Drake's Dragonite," he said, "it's his most powerful Pokémon and the reason he hasn't lost a match in years."

Ash's eyes widened.

"Drake has a Dragonite?" Misty asked shocked.

"That must be what we saw earlier," Tracey said.

Ash's eyes hardened and a grin grew on his face. This was gonna be awesome!

Returning to the Pokémon Center, Ash called Sam and sent most of his Pokémon to the ranch. Then went out to one of the training areas in the back and called out his full team. With multiple flashes of light Zangoose, Snorlax, Charizard, Dragonair, and Jolteon appeared before him. Riolu then hopped from his side to join his brethren.

"Alright guys, this is it," Ash said, "tomorrow morning you'll all be battling with me against the Supreme Gym Leader of the Orange Crew."

All of The Pokémon cried out their names.

"This isn't going to be easy," Ash said, "half of you remember our battles in the Indigo League, well this will be at least as hard, if not harder. But I believe in all of you, and I know we have can win!"

The Pokémon roared their approval.

* * *

Later that evening Ash pulled out his Pokénav and called Cynthia. He was surprised when she answered after several rings looking tired with disheveled hair. "Hi Cynthia," Ash greeted his girlfriend, "sorry if I woke you, I forgot about the time difference."

"That's alright," Cynthia said around a yawn, "what's up?"

"I'm battling Drake tomorrow," Ash said.

That woke her up a little more. She smiled, "good luck Ash, I know you'll do great."

"Thanks," Ash said, "will you be able to watch?"

"No, I'm sorry Ash," she said, "I'm in the middle of nowhere. Email me a copy and I'll definitely watch as soon as I get to a Pokémon Center."

"I will," Ash promised, "I'll let you get back to sleep. And I'll call you after my match."

"I can't wait," she said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Ash said, "goodnight."

"Night."

* * *

Ash arrived outside Pummelo Stadium at 9:30 and was escorted to the locker room while Tracey and Misty were shown to several seats reserved for the challengers family and friends.

In the locker room Ash did his best to calm his nerves, trying to meditate with Riolu. He had changed back into his normal outfit, feeling that his island clothing weren't appropriate for a battle as important as this. His Pokénav suddenly vibrated. He opened it to see a text from Cynthia.

 _ **Kick his ass,**_

 _ **Love Cynthia.**_

Ash couldn't help but smile. "Alright, let's do this."

* * *

 **Happy Holidays!**

 **I decided to give everyone a Christmas gift and publish this chapter early. The next chapter will be Ash's battle against Drake and the climax of the Orange Islands arc.**

 **Thanks everyone for the great reviews, I love you all!**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	24. Chapter 24

At ten sharp Ash entered the Stadium, his long blue coat swirling around his legs. At the same time his opponent emerged on the other side of the field, giving Ash his first look. Drake wore a muscle shirt and a vest, which did nothing to hide the shiny Poké balls on his belt. He also wore a single Poké ball on a chain around his neck. Walking around the edge of the stadium they met in the middle and shook hands.

"Welcome to Pummelo Gym Ash, and the Orange League Winner's Trophy Match," Drake said.

"I'm happy to be here," Ash said, "Thank you for battling me."

Drake smiled, "You must be an excellent trainer to have made it here Ash. Are you ready to battle?"

"Always."

The judge for the match walked up to stand between them and spoke the rules. "This is a full 6-on-6 battle. When three of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle, there will be a field change."

"Really?" Ash asked, surprised. A grinding sound drew his attention and he turned around to watch as the battlefield sank into the ground, only to be replaced by a rocky field with a pool of water in the middle.

"The Gym Leader is forbidden to change Pokémon during the battle," the judge continued, "but the challenger may change Pokémon at any time. This Winner's Trophy match is about to begin, so choose your Pokémon and good luck to you both."

Ash returned to his battlebox and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes, tuning out the screaming crowd and the loud MC. "Are you ready Riolu?" he asked.

"Ri," Riolu said shortly, his eyes burning with determination.

Drake called out his first Pokémon, "I hope this one leaves a good impression!" He threw the ball and it burst open, releasing a purple blob of goo out onto the field.

"A Ditto!" Ash said, gritting his teeth. Thinking for a moment he reached for a Poké ball. "Zangoose, to the Battlefront!" He threw the ball and it burst open, releasing the Cat Ferret Pokémon to the field.

"Ready?" The judge lifted his flags, "begin!"

"Ditto, transform!" Drake said immediately.

Ditto glowed, reshaping itself into a Zangoose.

"Scratch!" Ash ordered.

"Zang!" She shouted, dropping to all fours and racing at the Ditto.

"Dodge!" Drake yelled.

Ditto leapt to the side, just as Zangoose slashed with her claws.

"Now use Scratch!"

Ditto launched itself at Zangoose, using her own attack against her. Zangoose yelled as the Ditto's claws slashed at her.

"Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.

An aura of white energy enveloped Zangoose and she rushed at Ditto, slamming into it before it could dodge.

"Use scratch again!" Drake ordered.

Ditto whirled around and slashed at Zangoose, drawing another cry of pain from her.

"Now Quick Attack!" Drake shouted.

An aura of white energy enveloped Ditto and it rushed at Zangoose, crashing into her and sending her skidding across the field.

Ash's eyes widened as he realized something. A grin spread across his face. Ditto could only use the moves that his Zangoose knew, and Drake didn't know what moves those were until Ash ordered them.

"Hone Claws," Ash said as quietly as he dared.

Zangoose grinned and she bared her claws, causing them to glow darkly for a moment.

"Quick Attack again!" Drake ordered.

Ditto rushed across the field and slammed into Zangoose.

"Brick Break!" Ash snapped.

Zangoose whirled around and slammed a glowing paw into Ditto's side. It screeched in pain as it was flung across the field by Zangoose's attack. Ditto landed in a heap at Drake's feet and didn't get back up. In a flash of light, it transformed back into its normal appearance.

"Ditto is unable to battle, Zangoose wins," the judge announced.

"Return Ditto," Drake called, recalling his Pokémon, "you did a great job," he told it. "And so did you Ash, now steel yourself for this!" He threw his next Poké ball and released a massive Steelix to the field.

Ash hesitated, then decided to keep Zangoose in the match.

"Steelix, use Iron Tail!" Drake ordered.

Steelix bellowed as he twisted in on itself, bringing its glowing tail down on Zangoose.

"Dodge it!" Ash called.

Zangoose tried to leap out of the way, but she was too slow and was slammed by the Iron Tail.

"Zang!" she cried out in pain.

"Zangoose, quick use Brick Break!" Ash yelled.

Zangoose's paw started glowing and she charged at Steelix.

"Iron Defense!" Drake ordered.

Steelix roared as a metallic sheen enveloped it's body for a moment, causing it's defense to skyrocket. Zangoose brought her glowing paw down against Steelix's side, but it did little damage.

"Now quick, use Dragon Breath!" Drake ordered.

"Look out!" Ash cried

Steelix reared up and fired a blast of green flames from its maw. Zangoose tried to dodge, but she was caught by the attack and blasted away, landing in a crumpled heap.

"Zangoose is unable to battle, Steelix wins!"

Ash sighed, "Return Zangoose. I'm sorry, you did an awesome job." Switching Poké balls he threw his next to the field shouting, "Charizard, to the Battlefront!"

The ball burst open and Charizard landed on the field with a loud roar.

A grin grew on Ash's face, "let's go Charizard, Flamethrower!"

"Chaaar!" he roared, launching a blast of flames from his maw.

"Steelix, use Sandstorm!" Drake ordered.

Steelix waved its tail and kicked up a powerful swirling sandstorm. It surged across the field and slammed into the Flamethrower, their power stalemating against one another.

"Nice try Ash," Drake said, "But I've trained my Steelix to fight against Fire types. Steelix, use Thunder Fang!"

Steelix opened its maw wide and slithered across the field at high speed, electricity sparking along its mouth.

"Fly Charizard!" Ash ordered.

Charizard flared his wings and took to the air, just barely dodging Steelix's attack.

"Now use Inferno!" Ash ordered.

"Chhaaaaar!" Charizard roared, unleashing a spiraling gout of flames from his maw. It slammed into Steelix, drawing an echoing roar of pain from the steel type.

"Quick Steelix, use Smack Down!" Drake ordered.

Quickly recovering, Steelix smashed its tail into the ground, causing large rock to break free. With a swing of its tail, Steelix launched the rock up at Charizard. It smashed into Charizard's stomach, causing him to cry out in pain and go plummeting down ot the ground with a crash.

"Now use Thunder Fang!" Drake ordered.

"Get out of there!" Ash cried.

Charizard tried to get up, but he was in too much pain. Steelix bit down on his wing, sending surges of electricity through his body and causing him to yell loudly.

"Chaaaaar!"

"Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

Twisting his head to face Steelix, Charizard unleashed a wave of orange flames at it. Steelix cried out in pain from the attack and drew back.

"Rock Blast!" Drake yelled.

Steelix swung its tail, launching several large boulders at Charizard. In too much pain, Charizard was unable to dodge and took the attack dead on, roaring from the doubly super-effective attacks.

As the dust cleared, Charizard stood panting heavily before Ash. He had bruises and scuff marks all over his body, and his wing lay limply at his side from Steelix's Thunder Fang.

"Charizard!" Ash called out. His Pokémon looked back at him, trying and failing to hide a wince of pain. Ash grimaced, he wanted to recall his Pokémon, but he knew Charizard was too proud for that. "Do you think you have enough energy for one last attack?"

In response, a red aura of fiery energy enveloped Charizard as his Blaze ability activated. The Pokémon smirked, then winced again.

Ash smiled sadly at his loyal Pokémon, "then let's go out in the Blaze of glory." He then shouted, "Use Flare Blitz!"

Drake's eyes widened, "quick Steelix, use Iron Head!"

Charizard gave a massive roar, sending shockwaves in all directions. Huge, bright blue flames erupted around him, encircling his body in a fiery aura. He lifted off of the ground and propelled himself down the field at Steelix.

At the same time, Steelix head gained a bright metallic sheen and it launched itself towards Charizard. The two Pokémon met in the center of the field with a monumental explosion. The pool in the middle of the field was blown to pieces and the water in it vaporized. A cloud of smoke and debris billowed outward, crashing into the trainers and causing them to stumble. Ash held tightly to his hat and squinted into the cloud.

A breeze blew through the stadium, clearing the cloud and revealing both Charizard and Steelix. They both lay unmoving in the center of the field.

"Both Steelix and Charizard are unable to battle, this round is a draw!" The judge announced.

"Return Steelix."

"Charizard, return!"

Both Pokémon vanished in a surge of red energy.

"You were awesome Charizard," Ash whispered, "take a nice long rest now."

"I'm impressed Ash, you've beaten two of my Pokémon," Drake called as he pulled his next Poké ball, but now you don't stand a ghost of a chance!" He threw his Poké ball, releasing a Gengar to the field.

Ash snorted, "what's with all of the puns?" He mumbled. "Lets see...Gengar are powerful special attackers and good at dodging physical attacks. So..." he grabbed a Poké ball, "Jolteon, to the battlefront!"

He launched the Poké ball and watched it spin out to the field, popping open and releasing Jolteon.

"Joooolt!" he howled, squaring his paws and glaring at Gengar with a sneer.

"An interesting choice Ash," Drake said, "Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"

"Gen!" Gengar brought its hands together and formed an energy sphere of dark Ghost energy which he launched at Jolteon.

"Agility!" Ash called.

Jolteon vanished in a burst of movement, reappearing at different points across the field as he slowed to make turns.

"Now Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

"Nightshade!" Drake called in response.

Gengar tracked Jolteon's movements and was ready when he slowed to launch his attack. An ark of electricity surged through the air, only to be met by a bolt of ghostly energy from Gengar's eyes. The two attacks fought for dominance for a moment before the colliding energies mixed and exploded, cloaking the field in smoke.

"Quick Gengar, use Confuse Ray!" Drake ordered.

"Gengar geng!" Gengar called as it vanished from sight.

"Look out!" Ash called, but it was too late.

Gengar appeared right before Jolteon and stared into his eyes. Jolteon began to stumble around in confusion before running and ramming into the nearest rock as hard as he could. "Jo!"

"No Jolteon!" Ash cried helplessly.

"Dark Pulse Gengar!" Drake ordered.

"Geng!" Gengar brought its hands together and launched a beam of spiraling purple rings at Jolteon. They slammed into the electric type with an explosion, blasting him clear across the field.

"Jooolt!" he cried in pain.

"Jolteon!" Ash shouted desperately, "Use thunderbolt!"

Surprisingly, Jolteon seemed to have heard Ash and launched a Thunderbolt. It surged across the field and slammed into Gengar, drawing a cry of pain from the ghost/poison type.

"Quick Gengar, use Hypnosis!" Drake ordered.

"Geeeengar," Gengar said dreamily, staring into Jolteon's confused eyes which quickly began to droop before he fell down and began snoring lightly.

"Now finish it with Dream Eater!" Drake called.

Gengar was quick to release a shadow version of himself which soared across the field and passed straight through Jolteon.

"Jooool!" Jolteon cried in his sleep before collapsing in a faint.

"Jolteon is unable to battle, Gengar wins! There will now be a five minute break for the field change."

Ash sighed sadly and returned Jolteon. "Thanks buddy, you did a great job." He clipped Jolteon's Poké ball back to his belt and stepped back as the field sank into the ground. He fingered his other balls. "So, a speedy special attacker didn't work, then let's try the opposite."

Gengar remained floating over the exchanging field, grinning sinisterly at Ash.

"Riii," Riolu growled at it.

Ash put a hand on his head, "don't let it get to you buddy, that Gengar is going down."

"Ri," Riolu nodded in agreement.

A new battlefield rose out of the ground, revealing a sandy terrain. Ash frowned as he looked around, "this could make things a bit tricky."

He stepped back out to the battlebox and grabbed his next Poké ball.

"Challenger, release your next Pokémon," the judge ordered.

"Snorlax, to the battlefront!" he shouted, launching the ball. It burst open releasing the massive Sleeping Pokémon.

The ground shook as Snorlax landed, and he looked around blearily. "Snorlax."

Ash ignored the MC as he rattled on about his questionable choice.

"Hah, I knew he'd slip up eventually," Drake muttered to himself.

"Begin!" the judge called.

"Snorlax, use Roll Out!" Ash ordered.

"Snorlax snor," the Pokémon said as he started waddling down the field. He curled up, ducking his head, arms, and feet in so he was even more round and started rolling down the field, moving faster with every second.

"Dodge it," Drake called almost lazily.

"Gengar!" Gengar easily floated over Snorlax.

"Now use Hypnosis!" Drake ordered.

Snorlax stopped his attack and turned to look at Gengar, instantly falling under the latter's Hypnosis attack. Ash gave a smirk as he fell back with a earth shaking thud and began snoring.

"Now use Dream Eater!" Drake called.

"Geng!"

"Snorlax, Sleep Talk!" Ash shouted.

"What?" Drake yelped in surprise.

As Gengar released a shadowy version of itself to attack Snorlax's dreams, Snorlax surged to his feet. Still asleep, he clenched his fist and it began glowing with icy energy. He swung his fist and gave Gengar a solid haymaker just as the Dream Eater passed through him.

Gengar shouted in pain as he was blasted clear across the field. Snorlax blinked slightly and gave a large yawn.

"Back with us buddy?" Ash asked with a grin.

Gengar was quick to recover and charged at Snorlax with an angry, "Geng!"

"No, don't get close!" Drake tried to shout.

"Ice Punch!" Ash called.

Snorlax clenched his fist again and it glowed with icy energy. He swung and nailed Gengar in the face just as the Ghost type reached him.

"Gengar!" it cried out in pain.

"Quick use Focus Blast!" Drake ordered.

Gengar backed off quickly, panting from the damage it took. It brought its hands together and formed a ball of light blue fighting energy.

"Roll Out!" Ash ordered.

Snorlax curled up and began rolling down the field. Gengar launched the Focus Blast and it collided with Snorlax, barely slowing him down. The large normal type barrelled down the field and slammed into Gengar, sending it flying back where it slammed into a wall.

The Judge ran up and examined Gengar's unmoving form. "Gengar is unable to battle, Snorlax wins."

The crowd roared in approval of Ash's unorthodox strategy and the MC started rattling on. Ash ignored it all, his full attention focused on the battle before him.

Drake returned his Gengar. Switching out his Poké balls, he threw his new one saying, "I chose you, Venusaur."

Ash blinked at the lack of pun, but quickly focused his attention on the grass/poison type now facing Snorlax.

"Venusaur, use Toxic!"

"Venusaur!" the Pokémon cried as it unleashed a stream of viscous purple liquid from its flower bud. Before it could reach Snorlax, it vaporized into a purple cloud that enveloped the Sleeping Pokémon, instantly poisoning him.

Ash grit his teeth. He hated poison!

"Let's finish this quick Snorlax, use Ice Punch!"

"Snor!" Snorlax barreled down the field and slammed his icy fist into Venusaur's side, drawing a cry of pain from Venusaur. A moment later, Snorlax echoed that cry as the poison sapped his energy.

"Use Frenzy Plant Venusaur," Drake ordered calmly.

Venusaur took on a green glow as it reared back and slammed its front feet into the ground. Instantly massive spiked vines erupted from the ground and slammed into Snorlax, blasting him away from Venusaur. He went sailing across the field and landed with an earth shattering crash, unconscious.

"Snorlax is unable to battle, Venusaur wins!" the judge announced.

Ash sighed, "Return Snorlax. You did fantastic buddy. Thank you." He switched Poké balls and threw his fifth Pokémon to the field, "Dragonair, to the battlefront!" The ball burst open and released the serpentine dragon to the field.

"Dragoooooo!" he called out, glaring down at Venusaur.

"Use Ice Beam!" Ash called.

"Draaaa!" Dragonair charged an orb of icy energy at the tip of his horn and launched the Ice Beam straight at Venusaur.

"Venusaur!" the Seed Pokémon cried in pain from the super effective attack.

"Energy Ball!" Drake ordered.

Venusaur quickly charged a ball of grassy energy and launched it at Dragonair. It slammed into the dragon type with an explosion, but did little damage.

"Flamethrower!" Ash said.

Rearing back, Dragonair unleashed a blast of flames at Venusaur from his maw. It slammed into Venusaur, drawing a cry of pain from it.

Drake grit his teeth, "Quick, use Power Whip!"

Venusaur extended his vines and they took on a powerful purple glow as they stretched towards Dragonair.

"Dodge it!" Ash called, "and use Flamethrower again.

Dragonair nimbly wove around the attacking vine before unleashing another gout of flames at Venusaur, further damaging it.

"Now finish it with Dragon Rush!" Ash shouted.

"Toxic!" Drake bellowed.

The orbs on Dragonair's neck began glowing as a blue draconic shaped energy field formed around his serpentine body. He then flew down at Venusaur at top speed, passing through the purple Toxic field it had released, and crashed into Venusaur with a massive explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Venusaur was unconscious below Dragonair, who himself was wincing from poison damage.

Ash grit his teeth in annoyance.

Drake silently returned his Venusaur and switched Poké balls. "Now I choose, Electivire!" he threw the ball.

"No more puns," Ash murmured, "I guess that means he's taking me seriously now."

"Ri rio," Riolu said in agreement.

"Electivire, use a Quick Attack/Thunder Punch combo!" Drake ordered.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise, "that's not good, Dragonair watch out!"

Electivire charged down the field at top speed, a glowing white trail of energy tailing it, and slammed an electrically charged fist into Dragonair's side.

"Dragoooo!" he cried out.

"Quick use Dragon Tail!" Ash ordered.

Dragonair's tail took on a teal glow as he whipped around and slammed it into Electivire's chest, blasting it back. Dragonair then winced again as the poison sapped more of his strength.

"Thunder!" Drake bellowed.

"Vire!" Electivire unleashed a massive bolt of electricity towards Dragonair.

"Diffuse it with Iron Tail," Ash ordered.

Dragonair's tail took on a metallic glow and he slammed it into the sandy ground. The Thunder Attack slammed into him, passing harmlessly through his body and into the earth.

Ash grinned, "Now use Dragon Pulse!"

Dragonair unleashed a teal orb of energy that barreled down on Electivire and connected with an explosion.

"Viiii!" the electric type cried out in pain.

"Aaaair!" Dragonair cried out as the poison sapped even more energy. He floated, panting before Ash.

"We have them now, use Wild Charge!" Drake ordered.

"Look out!" Ash cried as Electivire charged at Dragonair. A yellow electric aura enveloped it and it crashed into Dragonair with an explosion.

When the smoke cleared, Dragonair lay in a heap next to Electivire, the latter wincing in pain from the recoil damage of its last move.

"Dragonair is unable to battle, Electivire wins!"

Ash returned Dragonair. "I'm sorry Dragonair, you did a fantastic job. I'm so proud of you." Clipping Dragonair's Poké ball to his belt, Ash turned to Riolu and nodded.

"Riolu!" the Pokémon said determinedly. He ran out to the field and glared fiercely at Electivire.

"Let's take a page out of Drake's book, use Quick Attack and Force Palm!" Ash ordered.

"Ri!" Riolu dashed down the field with a trail of white energy and slammed his glowing palm onto Electivire's chest. With an explosion of energy, Electivire was blasted back, but it kept its footing well.

"Thunder Punch!" Drake ordered.

"Vire!" electivire charged at Riolu with his fist clenched and sparkling with electricity.

"Counter!" Ash said.

Riolu closed his eyes and a red glow enveloped his body. Electivire slammed its fist into Riolu, only for it to ricochet back causing Electivire to punch itself in the face.

Drake grit his teeth, "Use Thunder!"

"Dodge!" Ash snapped.

Electivire unleashed a massive bolt of electricity, but Riolu nimbly bounced out of the way of the attack.

"Brick Break!" Ash ordered.

Riolu charged at Electivire as his hand started glowing with white energy.

"Protect!" Drake ordered.

"Electivire!"

Electivire held its hands out before itself and created a green force field around its body. Riolu's attack hit the barrier and bounced off harmlessly.

"Now Iron Tail!" Drake ordered.

Letting the barrier fall away, Electivire's tails took on a metallic glow and it spun around.

"Endure!" Ash shouted.

Riolu bent double and covered his body with his arms just as the Iron Tail hit, sending him flying back where he crashed into the sand before Ash.

"Are you okay buddy?" Ash asked.

Riolu bounced to his feet and gave Ash a thumbs up, "Ri riolu ri!"

"Great, now use Aura Sphere!"

"Ri!"

Riolu brought his paws together, forming a large sphere of pure aura which he launched at Electivire.

"Vire!" It impacted against the electric type with a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, Electivire was revealed unconscious in a crater in the sand.

"Electivire is unable to battle, Riolu wins!"

Ash grinned, "Awesome job Riolu!"

"Ri ri!" his starter responded with a grin.

Drake was silent as he returned his Electivire. He clipped the Poké ball to his belt before reaching for the Poké ball hanging from his neck. He detached and enlarged the ball, "you're my last hope. I choose you!" He threw the ball.

It burst open, releasing Drake's signature Pokémon, his Dragonite.

Ash swallowed, then firmed his resolve. "We can beat this, right Riolu?"

"Riolu ri riolu!" he said in response.

"Dragonite, Extreme Speed!" Drake commanded.

Dragonite bellowed, then vanished in a burst of speed.

"Riiii!" Riolu screamed as Dragonite slammed into him.

"Hang on Riolu, use Aura Sphere!" Ash called.

Riolu quickly launched a powerful Aura Sphere. It flew through the air and homed in on Dragonite, exploding against its side. However as the smoke cleared, Dragonite didn't seem to be affected.

"Use Gust Dragonite!" Drake ordered.

Dragonite bellowed as it began flapping its wings powerfully. A huge gust of wind picked up and crashed into Riolu, sending him flying into the stadium wall.

"Riolu!" Ash cried.

"Now Thunderbolt!"

Dragonite unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity from its antennae. It surged down and slammed into Riolu, drawing a cry of pain from him.

"Riiiiii!"

"Riolu hang on!" Ash cried, "Use Aura Sphere again!"

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Riolu brought his paws together and charged a truly massive Aura Sphere and launched it at Dragonite. It slammed into the Dragon Pokémon with an explosion, sending Dragonite crashing to the ground.

"Use Slam Dragonite!" Drake ordered.

Quickly recovering, Dragonite took back to the air and flew at Riolu. It grabbed him before flying up and launching him down to the ground. Riolu impacted with an explosion, sending dust and debris in all directions.

"Riolu, are you alright?" Ash cried.

As the dust cleared, Ash could see Riolu struggling to his feet.

"It's no use Ash," Drake called, "Your Pokémon doesn't stand a chance against Dragonite. Do the honorable thing and concede the match."

Ash glared at him, "don't underestimate me, OR my Pokémon! Riolu, let's show him the power of our bond. Use Return!"

"Riolu!" The Emanation Pokémon began glowing with white energy. The glow grew brighter and brighter, the crowd watched in awe as it grew blinding and even the MC was silent in shock. Then, he charged at dragonite.

"Dodge it!" Drake called almost desperately.

But Riolu was too fast and he slammed into Dragonite with a monumental explosion. It shook the entire stadium, sending dust and smoke in all directions. When it finally cleared, Riolu stood panting before Ash, while on the other side of the field Dragonite stood surprisingly still upright. It was panting heavily and looked severely beat up, but it was still ready to battle.

"Nice try Ash," Drake said, "and I commend you for the powerful bond you share with your Riolu. But it's time to finish this battle. Dragonite, use Draco Meteor!"

A golden glow formed within Dragonite's belly. It grew brighter and brighter, until Dragonite tilted its head back and launched a large bolt of energy from its maw. The energy reached the peak of its ark and exploded, sending dozens of meteors crashing down all over the field.

"Look out!" Ash cried.

Riolu tried to dodge, but he was too tired and there were too many. The meteor exploded as it landed right on top of him.

"Riolu!" Ash shouted.

As the smoke cleared, Ash could see Riolu on his back, barely conscious. "No, Riolu don't give up," Ash said, "I believe in you, you're my best friend and I know we can still win. Don't give up!"

Suddenly, Riolu's form was consumed by a brilliant blue/white energy.

"Riolu!" Ash said in shock.

His starter climbed to his feet and began to change. He grew taller, his ears longer and his snout more pronounced. The aura appendages hanging from his head each split into two, the bumps on the back of his paws grew into sharp spikes with a third growing out of his chest.

The energy burst away, revealing a newly evolved Lucario to the world.

Ash stared at his Pokémon in awe, before a grin grew on his face. "Rio...I mean Lucario, this is amazing. You look awesome!"

"Car!" Lucario said with a wolfish grin.

"Let's finish this," Ash said, turning his determined gaze to a stunned Drake and Dragonite.

"Rio!" Lucario burst into action, racing at Dragonite at top speed. Before he reached the Pokémon, he leapt into the air and his foot caught ablaze. With a nimble twist, he' kicked Dragonsite squarely in the stomach, sending the Pokémon skidding back.

"Blaze Kick, fantastic!" Ash cheered.

"This isn't over yet Ash," Drake said as he recovered, "Dragonite, use Dragon Rush!"

Dragonite bellowed and took to the air. A teal aura of energy enveloped Dragonite, taking the form of a roaring dragon, and the Pokémon surged down at Lucario.

"Bone Rush!" Ash shouted.

"Lucar!" Lucario bright his fists together, then drew them apart as a large bone staff made of energy formed in his paws. Holding the bone like a club, he charged at Dragonite and swung it to meet the incoming attack.

The two attacks met in a massive explosion, sending both Pokémon flying back.

"Let's finish this!" Ash shouted, "Close Combat!"

"Outrage!" Drake bellowed.

Both Pokémon shouted out their names and charged at each other. They met in the center of the field with a bang, each wildly unleashing attack after attack. Kicks, punches, jabs, head butts, without end until both Pokémon were too tired to continue.

Lucario and Dragonite stumbled back from one another, watching each other with respect in their eyes. Then...Dragonite fell.

"Dragonite is unable to battle, Lucario wins!" The judge announced, "The winner of the battle is Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd roared!

Ash burst out of his trainer's box and raced to his friends side. He caught Lucario just as he collapsed from exhaustion. "Lucario!"

Lucario looked up at Ash. "Did we...did we win?"

Ash blinked in surprise. Telepathy! He thought in shock. Then shook his head to clear it, now wasn't the time to think about that. "Yes buddy, we won."

Lucario grinned, then fell asleep.

Ash pulled out Lucario's Poké ball and returned him, "Take a long rest buddy. You really deserve it."

A shadow fell over him. Ash looked up to see Drake standing over him, holding a small gold trophy in his hands, "Congratulations Ash, you truly deserve this. You are a great Pokémon Trainer."

"Only because I have such great Pokémon," he said. Ash stood tall and accepted the trophy, "Thank you Drake. It's been an honor to battle you."

"The honor has been all mine," Drake said.

* * *

 **And that's that.**

 **Not the longest chapter, but I felt it was good enough.** **So this brings a close to the Orange Islands arc. Next time Ash will be returning to Pallet to deliver the GS Ball to Sam Oak before moving on to the Hoenn Region. Thanks everyone for the support. See you next week!**

 **Happy New Years!**

 **Dragonwolf12.**


	25. Chapter 25

Ash took a deep breath and slowly let it out, a smile growing on his face as he took in the familiar sight of Pallet town. "Home at last," he sighed happily.

"It's as beautiful as I remember," Misty said.

"Oh man, this is like a dream come true," Tracey said giddily, "I finally get to meet the famous Professor Oak!"

Ash glanced over at Tracey and did a double take. Tracey sat cross legged on the ground, going through a pile of sketchbooks twice as tall as he was. "I think I should go through all of my sketchbooks and pick out the best ones for Professor Oak," he was saying.

Ash glanced at Misty and saw that she had an identical expression on her face. Quickly he said, "Hey Tracey, why don't you do this at my house?"

"Yeah," Misty agreed, "we can have lunch while you decide what to show Professor Oak."

"Okay Misty," Tracey agreed amicably.

Ash quietly sighed in relief, shooting Misty a grateful look.

"Come on Lucario," he said, "Let's go show you to mom. She'll be thrilled!"

Lucario grinned and broke into a run, Ash hot on his heels.

The gang arrived at Ash's home after only a few minutes. Taking a deep breath, Ash opened the door with a loud, "Surprise!"

The living room was empty, but a voice almost instantly responded from the kitchen. "Is that you Ash?" Except it wasn't his mother's voice, it was...

Ash stepped into the kitchen, gaping. "Brock!" he yelped.

There stood Brock, his frilly pink apron on as he washed the dishes in the sink.

"Hey Ash!" Brock said in delight. "Looking good Lucario, I saw you evolve on TV, congratulations to the both of you."

"Who's that?" Tracey asked from the doorway.

"It's...Brock!" Misty gasped.

"Hey Misty, how're you doing?" Brock asked. "Pikachu? Togepi?" He petted both Pokémon.

"What'd you mean 'how are you doing?' What are you doing here?" Misty demanded.

Tracey walked in hesitantly, but Brock was as friendly as always, "Hey, you must be Tracey," he said happily, shaking the boy's hand.

"Yeah, thats me," Tracey said, smiling.

Ash frowned at his friend, something wasn't right about him.

"Well how about a fresh cup of tea?" Brock asked, brandishing a cup and saucer in one hand and a kettle in the other. "I just made a pot of Indigo wulong which has a delightful peachy flavor." He busied himself pouring each of them a cup. "It has a floral fragrance and I think you'll find it delightfully refreshing. I like my tea straight but for you I'll add a dash of milk and two heaping teaspoons of sugar."

"Brock what are you doing here?" Misty said worriedly. She, like Ash, had noticed that he was avoiding her question. "You loved Valencia Island."

Ash put his cup of tea down, "Did something happen between you and Professor Ivy?" As soon as he said it, he involuntarily gasped painfully as the very air around Brock turned blue and he curled up in the corner.

"Uh, that name, uuuuh," Brock moaned.

Lucario whined painfully. Both he and Ash could feel Brock's despair.

"Brock, what's wrong?" Misty asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Brock replied quietly.

"Huh, she must have dumped him," Misty sighed, shaking her head with a sigh, "This always happens."

"Huh?" Tracey looked betweej them in confusion.

"You're finally home!"

Ash looked up to see his mother standing in the doorway to the back garden, a small bag of vegetables she picked from the garden in her hands.

"Mom!" Ash cried happily, running to give her a hug. She returned it warmly, then pulled back to look more thoroughly at him. "Oh, you look more like your father every year. I'm so proud of you honey."

"Thanks mom," Ash said, smiling.

Pulling back, Delia turned to Lucario, "Oh, it's so good to finally meet you in this form Lucario!" She gave him a hug, which he returned happily.

" _Thanks mom,"_ Lucario replied telepathically.

Delia's eyes widened slightly, but then she gave a watery smile, "Oh, my boys!" She cried, pulling both Lucario and Ash into another hug.

Finally she released them and turned to their friends, "Hi Misty, how's it going with you, Pikachu, and Togepi?"

"Great, thanks Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said smiling.

"Togepiiii," the little egg trilled in MIsty's arms.

PIkachu leapt from Misty's shoulder and snuggled into Delia's arms for a hug.

Delia smiled and turned to Tracey, "and it's nice to finally meet you officially Tracey."

"You too Mrs. Ketchum," Tracey said.

Leaning in, Misty asked quietly, "About Brock, how long has he been here Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Oh," Delia glanced sadly over at Brock, who was still curled up in a ball of misery, "I found him unconscious in the fields on the edge of town about a week ago. I brought him home and gave him some food, but he refused to talk about what happened whenever I asked so eventually I just stopped. He's been a great help around the house, doing the chores, washing the dishes, and he's a better seamstress than I'll ever be!"

"Well it sounds like he's been a good houseguest at least," Misty said.

Suddenly Brock ran passed them and started fighting with Mr. Mime over a broom. "Come on Mr. Mime, I want to sweep today!" he cried, but Mr. Mime refused to release the broom.

Delia sighed, "Except when he wants to do all of Mimey's chores," she told Misty.

"Oh," Ash snapped his fingers. Dropping his backpack, he rummaged through it and pulled out his Winner's Trophy for the Orange League. "Here mom, this is for you," he handed it to her.

"Oh, honey," Delia almost cried as she took the trophy. "I know just where to put this."

She entered the house and opened a small display case Ash hadn't seen before. He looked at it, and grinned when he saw a small plaque that held all of his badges from the Indigo League, as well as his second place trophy.

"Hey Ash," Tracey said quietly, tapping Ash on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" Ash glanced over at Tracey.

"Uh it's getting a little late, I was just wondering when we were going to go see Professor Oak?" Tracey asked.

Ash checked the time and nodded, "No reason not to go see him now, I have to give him the GS Ball anyway. We'll be back later mom!"

"Okay sweetie," Delia said, "Don't come back too late, I'll going to make a welcome back dinner with all of your favorites!"

Ash grinned excitedly, "Sweet! Thanks mom, come on guys, let's go!" He led the way out the door, with Tracey, Misty, and Brock following in his wake.

"How long will it take us to get there?" Tracey asked as they walked.

"'Bout ten minutes," Ash said, "Pallet isn't that big."

Misty looked over at Tracey to see he was carrying about five notebooks in his hands, his face flushed with excitement.

"Are those the sketches your going to show him?" She asked.

"Yep," Tracey said, "I hope we get there before I change my mind."

"You're going to love it there Tracey," Ash said, grinning at his excitement.

"I'm sure I am," Tracey said, "Hey Brock I bet you were pretty excited the first time you met the Professor?"

Ash gasped in pain as Brock fell into another depression, curling up on the side of the road as the air turned blue around him. "That...name..." he groaned.

"Brock!" Misty shouted, "He meant Professor Oak!"

"Oh!" Brock suddenly snapped back to life, "Yeah, Professor Oak is one of the most respected names of all the Pokémon Researchers in the world, and he's got one of the best Pokémon Labs anywhere!"

Ash breathed a sigh of relief, this was getting ridiculous. Lucario whined in agreement, sensing his general thoughts.

"Oh man, I can't wait. Come on guys let's hurry!" Tracey broke into a run, with everyone else coolant in his wake.

They arrived at the lab a short while later. Ash led the way up the steps and to the main building and opened the front door.

"Ash wait!" Tracey yelped, "what are you doing?"

Ash turned to stare bemusedly at Tracey. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You can't just barge into Professor Oak's home like that!" Tracey yelled, a look of panic on his face.

"Uh, yeah I can," Ash said, "I work for him remember?" He stepped into the Lab and called out, "Sam! We're back!"

Tracey squeaked. "You called him by his first name!" The Pokémon watcher now looked positively petrified.

Ash rolled his eyes.

"Ash!" Sam said happily as he came down the hall, "it's good to see you. Did you bring it?"

"Right here," Ash said, holding out the GS ball, "if you'd waited for a minute back on Shamouti I could have given it to you then."

"Yes well, that was a very stressful day, I can't be expected to remember everything." Sam took the GS ball from Ash, "I'll begin my examination later."

"You want me to put it in the vault?" Ash asked.

"Would you please?"

Ash took the GS ball back and turned to his friends. He grabbed Tracey by the arm and pulled him forward. "Sam this is Tracey Sketchit. He's a Pokémon Watcher and a big fan of yours."

Tracey whimpered as Professor Oak smiled at him.

"Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person Tracey," Sam said

"Ah thank you sir," Tracey stuttered, "it's an honor to meet you. I hope you don't mind but could I get you to go over some of my sketches?"

"Well I'd be delighted to," Sam said, "why don't you join me in the lounge for a cup of tea and I can look at your work."

"Huuuuh!" Tracey all but squealed.

Sam sweatdropped nervously and quickly turned to Brock and Misty. "It's good to see you Misty, Pikachu, Togepi."

"You too," Misty said.

"Togepriiiiii!"

"Pika!"

Sam smiled at the Pokémon and turned to Brock. "Brock, Professor Ivy sends her best regards."

Ash and Lucario winced again as Brock went back into his depression, curling up in the corner. "Would you guys stop mentioning that name?" Ash said in annoyance.

* * *

After depositing the GS ball in the vault, Ash went to the lounge and sat down on the couch next to Oak. "So, do you think Tracey will be able to fill my shoes around here?" he asked Sam quietly.

Sam glanced at him with raised eyebrows.

"Oh come on, you know he wants to stay and work for you. He's having a nerdgasm just being in the same room as you," Ash said.

Sam looked mildly disturbed as he glanced at Tracey who sat across from him, quivering from nerves and excitement. Shaking his head he returned his attention to Tracey's drawings. "Well he's certainly got an eye for Pokémon. And a good hand. And I'd certainly welcome another hand around here. I'd forgotten how much easier it is when I have an assistant after you left."

On Sam's other side Brock leaned in and asked, "so Professor, what do you think of Tracey's sketches?"

"Well I haven't had a chance to review his whole portfolio but from what I've seen I'm impressed," Sam said quietly.

There was a sudden bang as the front door slammed open. "Hey grandpa! I'm back, where are you?"

Ash withheld a groan. "Why does Gary have to show up on today of all days?" he grumbled to himself. Lucario patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"In the lounge!" Sam called out.

A moment later Gary walked in, "Hey gramps, I was just coming to..." he trailed off as he noticed everyone in the room. His eyes traveled over everyone's faces before settling on Ash's face. "Ashy-boy," he greeted neutrally.

"Gare-bare," Ash said back in the same tone.

The air was thick with tension. Brock and Misty shared an unreadable look, Sam had busied himself examining Tracey's sketches and was ignoring everything else. Tracey looked between Ash and Gary in confusion.

"So your back," Gary said after a moment.

"So it would seem," Ash said.

"I watched your match on tv, I was...impressed."

"Thank you," Ash said.

They fell silent again.

Eventually Tracey stood and held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Tracey, a Pokémon Watcher."

Gary started, but shook his hand, "Gary Oak."

Tracey's eyes widened, "Are you related to Professor oak?" he asked in awe.

"Oh, yes Tracey this is my Grandson," Sam interrupted.

"Wow, it must be awesome having Professor oak as your grandfather," Tracey said with stars in his eyes.

"Yeah I guess it's pretty cool," Gary said offhandedly.

Ash snorted.

"Problem Ashey-boy?" Gary sneered.

"No," Ash said lightly, "I just seem to remember you introducing yourself to everyone as Professor Oak's Grandson during our journey through Kanto."

Gary harumphed, "You know we still haven't had our battle Ashey-boy."

Ash smirked, "You think you can take me Gare-Bare?"

"In my sleep," Gary snapped back.

"Then let's go, right now," Ash said, standing up.

"One on one?" Gary asked.

"Sounds good," Ash said.

They left the main lab and headed out to the battlefield Sam had behind the building. Ash and Gary stood face to face, fierce determination shining in their eyes.

"This will be a one on one Pokémon battle between Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak with no substitutions," Brock said, taking up the judges position between the two rivals. "Trainers, call out your Pokémon."

Lucario tensed, ready to leap out at Ash's command. However, Ash shook his head. "Not today buddy," he told the fighting type. Grabbing a Poké ball from his belt he threw it to the field, "Jolteon, to the battlefront!"

"Umbreon, go!" Gary shouted at the same time, throwing his own Poké ball.

Both balls burst open, releasing two eeveelutions to the field.

Ash eyed Gary's Umbreon, noting the sheen to its coat and the bright gleam in its eyes. It had been raised well.

"Jolteon vs Umbreon," Brock said, "Begin!"

"Jolteon, start off with Quick Attack!" Ash called immediately.

"Jolt!" The electric type said as a white aura enveloped him and he surged down the field.

"Umbreon use Protect!" Gary snapped off.

A green convex barrier sprang into existence before Umbreon just before Jolteon hit it, causing the electric type to bounce off harmlessly.

"Now quickly use Tackle!" Gary ordered.

Umbreon charged at Jolteon and crashed into him, sending him skidding down the field.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash said.

"Jooolt!" he cried out, unleashing a massive bolt of electricity at Umbreon.

"Dodge it!" Gary cried.

"Umbre!" The dark type said, just barely escaping being hit by the Thunderbolt as he jinked to the left.

"Great Umbreon, now Dark Pulse!"

"Umbre ooon!" The Moonlight Pokémon roared as it unleashed a beam of purple gyrating rings. They grew larger as they approached Jolteon, impacting against him with an explosion. Jolteon cried out in pain.

"Jolteon!" Ash cried.

As the smoke cleared, Ash gave a sigh of relief when he saw Jolteon still handing. "Are you alright buddy?" he asked. Jolteon was panting heavily with several scores on his body, but he nodded with a decisive, "Jolt!"

"Alright, then let's kick things up a notch," Ash said, his blue eyes beginning to glow slightly, "use Double Kick!"

"Jolteon!"

"Lookout Umbreon!" Gary cried as Jolteon charged.

"Left," Ash said calmly.

Umbreon jerked to the left, just as Jolteon switched directions. He leapt into the air and flipped over, kicking Umbreon first with his left leg, then his right. Umbreon was blasted back and landed with a crash in front of Gary.

"Now use Thunder!" Ash ordered.

Jolteon unleashed a massive bolt of electricity into the sky. Thunder boomed and the bolt returned down right on top of Umbreon.

"Protect!" Gary bellowed.

Just barely in time, Umbreon managed to create a shields around itself and the Thunder reflected off safely.

"Now quickly use Shadow Ball!"

"Umbre!" It shouted as it formed a ball of purple shadows before it's maw and launched it at Jolteon.

"Dodge, Quick Attack!" Ash shouted.

A white aura enveloped Jolteon and he sped out of the way of the Shadow Ball, speeding around the field and slamming into Jolteon.

"Iron Tail!" Gary shouted.

Umbreon's tail took on a metallic sheen and he flipped around, slamming Jolteon in the side with it.

"Jolt!" He cried out in pain.

"Now finish it with Dark Pulse!" Gary ordered.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Both Pokémon unleashed their consecutive attacks. Dark Pulse met in Thunderbolt in the center of the field; the two attacks reaching a stalemate temporarily before combining their energies and releasing a massive explosion that consumed the field.

"Jolt!"

"Umbre!"

Both eeveelutions cried out in pain as they were hit by the shockwave.

"Jolteon!" Ash yelled, coughing from the smoke.

"Umbreon, are you alright?" Gary asked.

Soon the smoke cleared and both Pokémon were revealed, both laying motionless in the center of the field.

Brock lifted both of his arms, "Both Umbreon and Jolteon are unable to battle, the match is a draw."

A slow clapping drew both rivals attention. Sam walked out into the middle of the field and looked at both Ash and Gary. "Well done both of you, I'm very proud of how far you've both come in your respective journeys," he said, a smile on his face. "Now, why don't you bring Jolteon and Umbreon into the lab and I'll heal them up."

Gary and Ash glanced at each other and nodded. "Sounds good Grampa," Gary said.

* * *

"Here you both are," Sam said, handing Gary and Ash their Poké balls, "Good as new."

"Thank you," Ash said, taking Jolteon's Poké ball.

"Yeah, thanks Grampa," Gary said, "Well I'm out of here, I'll see you later Grampa."

"Goodbye Gary, and good luck," Sam said.

"Where are you going?" Ash asked as Gary headed towards the door.

"On a new Journey of course," Gary said, "Smell you later Ashey-boy."

The door slammed behind him.

"Hmm," Ash stared contemplatively after Gary.

"Ash?"

"Huh?" Ash turned to see Sam looking at him, "What's up?"

"Do you still have your Pokénav and Pokédex?" He asked.

"Of course," Ash said.

"May I see them," Sam said.

"Uh, sure," Ash said. He pulled out the devices and handed them over. A sudden thunk on the ground drew his attention. Looking down He caught sight of the odd stone he'd found in the crystal Onix's cave.

Lucario picked it up and held it. " _There is an odd aura emanating from it,"_ he commented, handing it to Ash. The boy frowned, looking at the stone in his hand.

"Hmm? What's that you have there Ash?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure," Ash said, "it's a stone I found in the cave of that crystal onix." He held it out for the Professor to see.

"Hmm, this does look rather familiar," Sam said, examining the stone, "This rainbow helix symbol within the stone is definitely ringing a bell. Would you mind if I held onto this for a little bit Ash?"

"Sure," Ash said, shrugging. With a glance out the window he said, "I'm gonna head out and check on my Pokémon."

Sam saved him away, his interest focused on the stone. Ash rolled his eyes. "Come on Lucario, let's go see the others."

Together they exited the lab and made their way out to the area where his Pokémon usually liked to hang out.

As soon as they reached the area, Ash looked around at all of his Pokémon. There was Venusaur and Charizard lounging in the sun, Scyther and Zangoose sparing with one another, Pidgeot and Aerodactyl were flying high up on the air, Snorlax was sleeping while Gengar drew pictures on his face, and Lapras and Wartortle were lounging in the lake nearby. Only Dragonair was nowhere to be seen.

Ash made a beeline for the lake. As he arrived, Lapras came swimming up to greet him. "Hey sweetie," he said gently, rubbing the side of her face. "I'm sorry we weren't able to find your family."

"Laaaa," she said sadly.

" _She's sad too, but she understands the odds were low,"_ Lucario translated for Ash.

Ash smiled at her, "Just remember you'll always have a home with me."

"Laaapraaa," she nuzzled him happily.

Ash laughed as he rubbed her head affectionately. He turned to Wartortle who had floated up, "Hey buddy, how're you doing?" He asked.

"War tortle!" He said, pumping his arms.

Ash grinned, "That's good, I'm not sure when we'll be leaving for our next journey but I promise I'll take you with me."

"Tortle!"

Turning Ash made his way towards his other Pokémon. He chuckled and waved at Haunter, who waved back before returning to his drawing, and stopped to observe Scyther and Zangoose's practicing.

Scyther slashed at Zangoose, she dodged to the left and slashed down towards Scyther's thorax. The bug type blocked the attack with his arm and kicked at Zangoose's leg, knocking her down. With a swipe, Scyther held his scythe at Zangoose neck. With a sigh, she nodded in acceptance of her defeat.

"Good job," Ash said, "You're both getting stronger every day. Scyther your physical attacks are flawless, so I think we should work more on special attacks."

"Scy," the Pokémon nodded. He turned and started lashing out with a Razor Wind attack at the nearest tree.

"Zangoose," Ash turned to the normal type, "You're doing fantastic. You just need to work on your speed and reflexes a bit more, then we'll work on expanding your move pool."

"Zang," she nodded, smiling up at him.

Ash smiled back and he and Lucario moved on. He caressed Venusaur on one of his petals before patting Charizard on the belly. "How are you guys doing?" he asked them.

"Zard," Charizard growled lazily, giving him a smile.

"Saur," Venusaur said in agreement.

Ash laughed, "That's good, just don't get lazy guys, I can't have my second most powerful battlers losing their edge."

Both Pokémon looked offended as Ash laughed and walked on. Lucario gave them a grin and saluted before following his partner.

Ash sat down in a clear area and released Jolteon. "Hey buddy," he said, smiling at the electric type, "How are you feeling?"

"Jolt!" He said strongly, nodding determinedly at him.

"Good," Ash said, "That was a tough match, I'm proud of you buddy." He started massaging him, being careful to avoid the spikes in his fur as he worked out the kinks in his muscles. Looking around he noticed his other Pokémon perking up and looking jealously over at Jolteon. He laughed, "Don't worry guys I'll give everyone a massage today, Jolteon just gets extra treatment cause he was in a battle today."

That cheered everyone up and they settled down to wait their turn.

Ash turned to Lucario and said, "Can you go find Dragonair?" Lucario didn't respond however, he was staring at the top of Ash's head. "What?"

" _Ash, your hat is glowing,"_ Lucario said after a moment.

"What?" Ash yelped.

He whipped his hat off and stared in shock at the golden glow that emanated from within it. Slowly he reached in and pulled out the Rainbow Wing that he'd obtained on the first day of his journey; it was glowing brightly as if...

" _Ash, look!"_ Lucario said urgently.

Ash jerked up and gasped. There, flying across the sky with a shining rainbow in its wake was... "Ho-Oh," he said softly. All of his Pokémon watched silently as the legendary flew across the sky finally disappearing into the horizon. "Wow," Ash said after a long moment. He continued gazing off into the distance. "It was heading east, towards the Hoenn region."

* * *

That night the whole group was eating dinner at the Ketchum House.

"This is delicious Mrs. Ketchum," Misty said, "Thanks."

"It really is," Tracey said, "I wish I could could half this good."

"Oh, I wish I could take all the credit but it was Brock who cooked this meal," Delia said, smiling fondly at the Breeder.

"Just glad I could be of help Mrs. Ketchum," Brock said modestly.

"You've been awfully quiet Ash," Sam said.

"Hmm?" Ash looked up, "Oh yeah, just thinking."

Delia sighed, "Oh, I knew it."

"What?" Ash asked, nonplussed.

"You're just like your father," Delia said, "You can't stand still for more than a few days. So where will you be going to now?"

Ash blushed at how well his mom knew him, "the Hoenn Region," he said after a moment.

"Mmm, a good choice," Sam said, "There are many new Pokémon in that region for you to meet. Which reminds me..." he pulled out the odd stone Ash had given him, "I've talked to a couple of my colleagues and I discovered that this is a Key Stone."

"A Key Stone?" Ash repeated, puzzled, as he took the stone back, "What's that?"

"Uh uh," Sam waggled his fingers, "I can't be giving you all the answers. You'll have to figure it out yourself. All I'll say is that a Keystone is part of a set. I'm sure you'll find out more information in the Hoenn Region."

"Awe," Ash pouted. After a moment he turned to Misty, "so how about it, will you be coming?"

"Of course," Misty said, "I can't let my baby brother go running off to strange all alone. He might get into trouble." She gave him a simpering sweet smile as he stuck his tongue out at her.

Brock snorted, "Ash will get into trouble whether your there or not Misty. So it's a good thing I'll be there to keep an eye on the both of you."

"Really? Your coming with Brock?" Misty asked happily.

"You betcha!" Brock said, a pleased smile on his face.

"Awesome," Ash said happily, "it'll be great to have you back. I can't cook nearly as well as you can, my Pokémon miss your food."

" _You can say that again,"_ Lucario said.

"Hey!" Ash complained while everyone else laughed.

"What about you Tracey?" Misty asked.

"Oh I'll be staying here to work for Professor Oak as his assistant," Tracey said happily.

"Oh that's great," Misty said, "I mean I'm sad that you won't be coming with us but I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Misty," Tracey said.

"I'll send you a list of the chores Sam usually had me do when I worked for him," Ash told him.

"Thanks Ash," Tracey said, "that'll be a big help."

"When will you be leaving Sweetie?" Delia asked.

"There's a ferry that leaves from Pallet Harbor tomorrow evening for Littleroot Town with only one stop along the way," Ash said.

"Oh I wish you could stay longer," Delia sighed, "good luck sweetheart."

"Thanks mom," Ash said.

* * *

Later that night ash used his mom's video phone to call Cynthia.

"I saw your battle against Drake, good job," she said.

"Thanks," Ash said, "I'm heading to the Hoenn Region next."

"Really?" Cynthia asked, "I'm actually going to be heading to a small island between Hoenn and Kanto called Alto Mare. Any chance you can meet me there?"

Ash grinned, "You'll never guess, but the Ferry I booked has a three day layover in Alto Mare."

Cynthia's smile widened, "Fantastic, I'll see you there?"

"Absolutely," Ash said.

* * *

"I love you mom," Ash said, hugging her tightly.

"I love you too Ash," She replied, "stay safe sweetheart."

"I will," Ash promised. Turning to Tracey he shook his hand, "Good luck Tracey, visit my mom for me will you?"

"I will," Tracey promised.

Last Ash turned to Sam, "I'll see you later prof?"

"Of course," Sam said, "and I'll send you your Pokédex as soon as I finish my modifications."

"Thanks," Ash said, "but what are you doing?"

Sam just smiled mysteriously, "You'll see. Good Luck Ash, I'll be taking good care of your Pokémon while your gone."

"Thanks," Ash said.

"Here Sweetie," Delia said, "I made you a little going away gift." She pulled out a coil of leather and handed it to him. It was a new belt, but it had an extra strap that hung down his left thigh with enough slots for 12 Poké balls.

Ash grinned, "Thanks mom, I love it." He put it on.

"Your welcome sweetie," Delia said.

"You ready Ash?" Brock asked, "the ferry leaves in twenty minutes."

"Yeah, lets go," Ash said.

* * *

 **Thus ends chapter 25**

 **I forgot to mention last chapter, but The Journey of the Guardian now has two more chapters than The Chosen One's Journey. Yay!**

 **Okay everyone, the Orange Islands are over and Ash is off to Hoenn. However, he will be stopping in Alto Mare along the way because I just love that movie and I didn't want to put it off for so long. Anyway, see you next time...**

 **Dragonwolf12**


	26. Chapter 26

It was approaching noon as the ferry docked in Alto Mare. Ash, Lucario, Misty, and Brock joined the throng of disembarking passengers, all the while gazing at the picturesque city in wonder.

"This place is so beautiful," Misty said happily.

"Yeah," Brock said dreamily, "a perfect city to meet a beautiful girl."

"Just don't make a move on Cynthia," Misty said slyly.

"Oh no, never," Brock said, grinning at Ash, "I would never get between another man and his girl." He waited for Ash to deny it with a blush. He was surprised when Ash glared at him and said, "you'd better not."

"Uh, did I miss something?" Brock asked Misty in an undertone.

"Oh yeah, they got together when she visited us in the Orange Islands," Misty said, "while you were staying with Professor Ivy." She realized her mistake a moment too late, slapping a hand over her mouth in surprise. Brock however was already curled up in an alleyway, moaning.

Ash winced and glared at Misty. "Would you stop that?"

"Sorry," Misty said sheepishly.

After asking for directions twice, they finally made it to the Pokémon Center.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock shouted as he charged towards the counter.

Misty sighed as she trailed after him to save the bewildered nurse.

"I see Brock hasn't changed."

Ash grinned as he turned and gave Cynthia a hug. She returned it warmly.

"It's so good to see you," Ash said happily.

"You too," She replied. Pulling back she turned to Lucario and gave him a hug, "you look good Lucario. Is Ash taking good care of you?"

" _Always,"_ Lucario replied, returning her hug.

If Cynthia was surprised by his telepathy she didn't show it. "Good," she said, pulling back.

"So what brought you here to Alto Mare anyway?" Ash asked.

"I actually had two reasons," Cynthia said, "Then I called you and had three."

Ash snorted but smiled, "That was really lame."

"I know," she grinned, "Anyway the most pressing reason was to enter in the Tour de Alto Mare. It's this race where you have a water Pokémon pull you on a small boat through the canals. It's an annual event and its world famous."

"Yeah, I think I've heard of it," Ash said, "That would be cool to enter, do you think it's too late?"

Cynthia shrugged, "I'm not sure, you'd have to ask Nurse Joy, she'd handling the entries."

"Come on, lets go," Ash grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the counter. "Nurse Joy! Is it too late to enter the Tour de Alto Mare?"

Misty, who was nearby gasped, "Is that tomorrow?"

Nurse Joy smiled, "Yes it is, and no I can accept entries until eight o'clock tonight."

"Awesome," Misty cheered, "I'm so going to enter."

"Alright, I just need you to fill out these forms," Nurse Joy said, handing Ash and Misty each a small stack of paper.

"Yes!" Misty grabbed the papers and began feverishly scribbling.

"Excited Misty?" Ash asked, amused as he more sedately filled out his form. When it asked for what Pokémon he'd be racing with he considered for a moment before writing down Wartortle. He was smaller and more maneuverable than Lapras would be in the canals of the City.

"Absolutely," Misty said, "I've always wanted to race in the Tour de Alto Mare, It's one of the greatest tests for a Water Pokémon Trainer."

"Sounds like fun," Ash said. He finished his form and handed it back to Nurse Joy.

"Excellent," the Nurse said. "Here's a map of the City, you both need to present yourselves here at 9 a.m. to get your Water Chariot and have your Pokémon fitted for its harness. The race starts at 11."

"Thanks Nurse Joy!" Ash and Misty said.

"Hey, aren't you the girl who one the Indigo League last year?" a voice suddenly called from across the pokémon center.

Cynthia closed her eyes, looking like she was holding in a long suffering sigh. Ash smirked at her in amusement.

"Hey yeah, and that's the kid she beat," another voice called out excitedly.

Ash tripped and face planted. Misty and Brock laughed.

Looking over they saw two teens about their age coming running towards them, a boy and a girl. They both had blonde hair and similar facial features, making Ash assume they were fraternal twins.

"Hi I'm Jamie!" the girl introduced herself.

"And I'm Taylor," the boy continued.

"We're, like, really big fans of yours," Jamie said, jumping up and down in excitement.

"The Indigo League was awesome!" Taylor cheered.

"And your battle against Drake was amazing Ash," Jamie said.

"Will you please battle us?" they both begged together.

Ash and Cynthia shared a wide eyed glance. "Uh, yeah sure," Ash said after a moment.

"Yay!" they both cheered.

"Lets make it a double battle," Jamie suggested.

"One Pokémon for each of us," Taylor said.

"Taylor and I against you two," Jamie said.

"Okay," Cynthia said hesitantly.

"Yay!" Taylor cheered, "There's a battlefield we can use around the corner."

"Lets go!" Jamie said. She and Taylor ran off.

Ash and Cynthia shrugged at each other then ran after them.

"What just happened?" Misty asked, her eyes wide.

* * *

They reached the battlefield, only to see that it was already in use. Two kids stood on opposite sides of the field; a girl and a boy each with similar hairstyles. The girl was hearing a green shirt with a white collar, a short white skirt, and pink shoes with black socks; she had auburn shoulder length hair, but it had two odd looking 'wings' sticking up on both sides of her crown, and bright amber eyes. The boy had short auburn hair with the same wings sticking up and bright red eyes, he wore a blue denim shirt, white cargo shorts, and black sneakers.

What was odd however, was upon closer inspection the two of them weren't in the trainer boxes, but on the field itself. They squaring up against each other determined looks in their eyes, as if they were Pokémon themselves about to battle. Then they relaxed and started laughing quietly.

"Hey!" Taylor shouted, startling the two on the field. "Are you guys done? We want to have a battle!"

They two glanced at each other then nodded, running over to the other side of the field to sit down on a bench to watch.

"Thanks," Jamie said, "Okay let's go!" The twins ran to the far end of the field, while Ash and Cynthia stood together on the closer side.

Ash turned to Lucario and nodded. The Aura Pokémon grinned and leapt out to the field.

"Garchomp, battle dance," Cynthia called, throwing her Poké ball and releasing her massive dragon.

Jamie and Taylor threw their Poké balls at the same time shouting, "Let's go Gardevoir/Gallade!" Two Poké balls soared into the air, popping open and releasing two green and white human like Pokémon. Gardevoir landed elegantly on the field, while Gallade slashed with his blades and gave a few kicks.

Ash and Cynthia grimaced together. "This won't be easy," Ash said.

"True, but when has that stopped us before?" Cynthia asked.

Ash grinned at her. "I'll focus on the Gardevoir?"

Cynthia nodded.

"Gardevoir, use Moonblast on Garchomp!" Jamie shouted. Gardevoir brought its hands together, drawing silver lunar energy into a pink swirling orb. With a cry, it launched the attack straight at Garchomp.

"Or not," Ash muttered to himself. "Lucario, Protect Garchomp!"

Lucario leapt into the air, landing directly in front of Garchomp and creating a green energy shield before himself. The Moonblast impacted against the Protect with an explosion, but neither Lucario or Garchomp were harmed.

"Quick Gallade, use Power-Up Punch on Lucario!" Taylor ordered.

"Block it Garchomp," Cynthia said.

"Metal Claw," Ash added.

Gallade charged across the field, his fist clenched as it ignited with a red-orange aura of energy. Garchomp flew into the air and landed with a slamm right in front of Gallade, slashing with her Dragon Claw attack and impacting against the Power-Up Punch. The two attacks ignited, causing an explosion that sent both Pokémon skidding back.

Meanwhile, Lucario had taken off charging down the field, his paw enveloped in a silvery sheen as three large metallic claws extended.

"Quick Teleport," Jamie ordered.

Gardevoir vanished just as Lucario slashed at her, just barely dodging his attack. A moment later Gardevoir reappeared just behind Garchomp.

"Now Draining Kiss!"

"Look out!" Cynthia shouted.

"Garr?" Garchomp turned in surprise just as Gardevoir planted a kiss on her cheek. Garchomp yelled in pain as she was enveloped in a bright red light and energy started draining from her into Gardevoir.

"Close Combat!" Taylor shouted.

"Gallade!" the Blade Pokemon shouted, charging at Lucario and unleashing a series of kicks and punches at him.

"Detect!" Ash ordered.

Lucario closed his eyes and proceeded to dodge every single strike Gallade threw. When the attack ended, Gallade stood panting before Lucario who stood with his eyes still closed.

"Now give him your own Close Combat!" Ash shouted.

"Garchomp use Flamethrower!" Cynthia said at the same time.

Lucario's eyes shot open and he attacked, raining punches and kicks down on Gallade, who could do nothing but try and block. Simultaneously, Garchomp leapt high into the air and unleashed a gout of flames down upon Gardevoir.

"Voir!" the Embrace Pokémon cried out in pain.

"Gallade, use Psycho Cut!" Taylor ordered.

Gallade leapt back and slashed with the blade on his arm, unleashing a blade of psychic energy at Lucario.

"Dodge, then use Bone Rush on Gardevoir," Ash ordered.

Lucario contorted his body, just barely dodging the attack, before charging at Gardevoir. He brought his paws together, placing his fists side by side, then pulled them apart as a six foot quarterstaff made of energy and shaped like a bone formed. He lashed with the staff at Gardevoir, striking her once, then twice.

"Voiiir!" she cried out.

Taylor turned to his sister and said, "Jamie, I think it's time we take this to the next level."

"I absolutely agree Taylor," Jamie said.

Moving together, they brought their hands up and touched a small pendant hanging from their left wrists.

"Gardevoir/Gallade, Mega Evolve!" They cried together. Instantly several strands of energy burst from the pendants heading towards the Pokémon. Simultaneously, several strands of energy burst from two matching pendants on Gardevoir and Gallade. The energy strands met in the middle and turned gold, then Gallade and Gardevoir started glowing brightly as they began to change shape.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, covering his eyes from the bright lights.

"I'm not sure," Cynthia said, "But it's what I think it is then we're in trouble."

When the energy faded, Ash looked back and gasped. Gallade and Gardevoir were different. Gallade stood taller, with longer and sharper blades on his forearms and a long cape hanging over his back. Gardevoir's skirt now resembled a large gown, and the horn on her chest had split into two.

"Have you heard of Mega Evolution?" Cynthia asked.

"Only rumors," Ash said, trying to think of what he'd read. "Something about a temporary powerup. Oh..." he trailed off as he realized what he was saying.

"Yeah," Cynthia said.

"Gardevoir use Psychic!" Jamie shouted.

"Gallade Psycho cut!" Taylor shouted.

"Voir!" Gardevoir's eyes began glowing and she released a massive wave of Psychic energy. It tore up the field and slammed into Lucario with a monumental explosion.

"Ga lade!" Gallade leapt high into the air as both of the blades on his arms started glowing. With two slashes he unleashed twin blades of psychic energy that flew through the air and impacted against Garchomp, blasting her back.

"Gaar!" she yelled.

"Lucario, are you alright?" Ash called out anxiously, his eyes glowing as he used his aura sight.

Lucario groaned as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Now close combat on Lucario!" Taylor yelled.

"Block it with your own," Ash snapped.

Both fighting type Pokémon charged at one another, unleashing a hail of punches and kicks upon the other. Ash winced as he watched, as he could see that Lucario was taking the brunt of the fight.

"Moonblast!" Jamie shouted.

"Voir!" Gardevoir unleashed another bright pink orb of energy at Garchomp.

"Dig!" Cynthia snapped.

"Gar!" Garchomp didn't hesitate to punch at the ground and disappear underneath the field just before the Moonblast would have hit.

"Future Sight!" Jamie ordered quickly.

Gardevoir's eyes began glowing. Then suddenly the ground underneath her erupted as Garchomp exploded out and slashed at Gardevoir. "Voir!" she cried out, attack interupted.

"Now quickly use Earthquake!" Cynthia shouted.

Ash's eyes widened as Garchomp froze in midair and came crashing down to the field. "Lucario, Jump!" he bellowed.

Lucario didn't hesitate to break away from the Close Combat and leapt as high into the air as he could.

Garchomp crashed into the field, unleashing a monumental earthquake. Gallade and Gardevoir cried out in pain as the ground shook beneath them.

Ash and Cynthia held onto each other, trying to stay standing as the Earthquake passed them. From the corner of his eye Ash noted that their two observers, the teens who had been on the field before, seemed unaffected by the Earthquake. They merely had looks of awe on their faces as they watched the battle closely, they had probably never seen such a high powered battle before with their own eyes. However he didn't have time to think about it much as Lucario landed heavily on the field, wincing and falling to his knee in pain.

Gardevoir and Gallade didn't look too much better, wincing heavily from all the damage they took.

"Gallade, use Psyco Cut on Lucario!" Taylor shouted.

"Gardevoir, use Moonblast, finish this up!"

"Dodge!" both Ash and Cynthia yelled as the two Psychic type Pokémon unleashed their attacks.

Lucario was too slow from his injuries and was hit right in the chest by the Psycho cut. Garchomp on the other hand managed to make it into the air, but was just slow enough that the Moonblast clipped her wing.

"Gaaar!" she cried out in pain.

"Garchomp!" Cynthia shouted, "Are you alright?"

"Gar," the dragon type grinned at her, trying to hide a wince.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Ash shouted.

Lucario managed to force himself to his feet. He brought his paws together and formed a swirling sphere of pure aura, which he launched at Gallade.

"Follow it with Dragon Rush!" Cynthia shouted.

Garchomp leapt into the air as the horns on the side of her head started glowing with teal energy. With a burst of power, a teal dragon shaped aura of energy enveloped the dragon and she flew straight at Gallade.

"Gallade!" the Blade Pokémon cried out as he was hit first by the Aura Sphere, then by Garchomp. A monumental explosion shook the field, and when the smoke cleared, Gallade, back in his normal form, was revealed unconscious in front of Taylor.

"Oh no, Gallade," Taylor said sadly.

"You don't get to do that to my brother's Pokémon," Jamie said, "Gardevoir use Psychic!"

"Garr!" she said, an angry look on her face as she unleashed another enormous blast of Psychic energy. Lucario was too trained to dodge and took the hit full on. He was blasted across the field where he landed in a heap before Ash, unmoving.

"Oh no, Lucario," Ash said sadly. He pulled out Lucario's rarely used Poké ball and returned him. "You did great buddy, I couldn't be prouder," he said to the ball. Turning to Cynthia he said, "I guess it's all you."

Cynthia nodded, her eyes burning, "Let's finish this, Garchomp use Giga Impact!"

Garchomp took to the sky as spiraling orange streaks emanated from a focal point in front of her face.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Jamie shouted in response.

Gardevoir's body was enveloped in a rainbow colored glow which continuously grew stronger.

A purple aura of energy added itself to the spiraling gold ribbons as Garchomp changed direction and surged towards Gardevoir.

At the peak of their attacks, the two Pokémon met in a monumental explosion.

Ash held onto his hat as the whole city block shook with the force of the explosion. It was a good thing that most official battlefields were designed with built in energy diffusers to protect the surrounding structures and/or observers.

When the smoke cleared, both Pokémon could be seen unconscious in the middle of the battlefield.

"A draw," Ash said quietly.

"Yeah," Cynthia said, a faint note of disbelief in her voice.

"That was so amazing!" Taylor cried in delight once his sister recalled her Pokémon.

"Yeah thanks so much," Jamie said happily.

Ash grinned, "It was a great battle. You guys are great trainers."

They blushed happily.

"I have to ask though," Cynthia said, "Was that Mega Evolution? I've never seen it before."

"Yeah," Jamie said, "Let me tell you it was really hard to find the Mega Evolution Stone's we needed."

"So it's a stone?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, but it's a different stone for each Pokémon," Taylor said, "We had to go all the way to Kalos to find what we needed."

"That's impressive," Ash said.

* * *

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR ALTO MARE'S ANNUAL WATER CHARIOT FESTIVAL, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A RECORD TURNOUT. ARE YOU READY FOR THE MAIN EVENT?

Ash stood on his red and green water chariot, wobbling occasionally as he worked to maintain his balance. He kept a tight grip on his line leading down to his Wartortle floating in the water before him. To his left Misty stood in her own chariot with Vaporeon at the end of her line, and on his right was Cynthia with her milotic.

He glanced up at the bridge directly ahead of them, spotting Brock with Pikachu, Togepi, and Lucario cheering for them.

"TRAINERS, WHEN YOU HEAR THE XATU, THAT'LL BE YOUR CUE," the announcer said.

Standing on the side of the canal was a Xatu, with three Natu stacked on top of each other's heads, looking eerily like a totem pole.

The Natu on top flared its little wings and squeaked.

Three.

The second Natu flared its wings and squeaked.

Two.

Third Natu flared its wings and squeaked.

One.

Then the Xatu flared its wings and shouted, "Xatu!"

Go.

"Lets go!" Ash shouted to Wartortle.

Instantly, all of the Pokémon took off at top speed, swimming rapidly through the canals of Alto Mare. Ash, Misty, Cynthia, and an older teen with a Wailmer instantly began pulling ahead of the rest of the pack.

Ash grunted as Wartortle pulled him through the canals. Left...left again...straight...right. It was a constant test of not only his Pokémon, but also of Ash himself. He had to constantly work to maintain his balance on the chariot, keep ahold of the line connecting him to Wartortle, and make sure Wartortle didn't make any wrong turns.

More than once Ash nearly went careening into the water. In his peripheral vision he could see Misty and Cynthia gliding through the water as they constantly worked to overtake one another. One second Misty was in the lead, the next Cynthia, then Ash, Misty again, Ash again, Cynthia, the teen with the Wailmer. All the rest of the contestants had been left in their wake, and the race was literally down to the four of them.

They passed the halfway point and Ash found himself slowly inching ahead when it happened. They were approaching a particularly tight turn and Ash instinctively activated his aura sight; instantly he became aware of two incredibly powerful presences nearby. He jerked in surprise and lost his balance, flying from his chariot and crashing straight into Cynthia. She shrieked as they both careening towards the wall. However before they hit, a soft...something, appeared between them and they bounced away, falling into the canal with a splash.

Ash surfaced with a gasp, jerking his head upwards with glowing eyes, but the presences has gone. A moment later Cynthia surfaced coughing and glared at him. "What was that?" she demanded.

"Sorry," Ash said, "I saw something with my aura vision and it startled me."

That made Cynthia blinked, "You actually saw them?" she said in awe.

"Who?" Ash asked.

"I'll tell you later," Cynthia said, "Come on, maybe we can catch up with Misty and that other guy."

Ash nodded. They clambered back on their Water Chariots and shot off. Together they maneuvered through the canals, passing the few other competitors that overtook them after the crash. Suddenly something grabbed onto their lines and started pulling them onwards.

"Whoa!" Ash yelped as he was suddenly jerked forwards with incredible speed.

"What's going on?" Cynthia yelled.

"I don't know!" Ash replied. He activated his Aura Sight again and gasped, "It's them again!" Two large invisible Pokémon had grabbed onto their lines and were pulling them along. However at Ash's shout they started, releasing the lines and flying away.

"Damn, I scared them," Ash swore.

Cynthia frowned at him, but didn't say anything.

They turned the last corner of the race just in time to see Misty and Vaporeon crossing the finish line barely an inch ahead of the other teen and his Wailmer.

Cynthia sighed, "oh well, it was fun at least."

"Yeah," Ash nodded.

* * *

In the aftermath of the race the boy who made second place, a teen named Ross who had been the reigning champion of the race for two years running, had offered Misty and her friends a tour of the city. So here they sat in Ross' gondola gazing around at the unique architecture of Alto Mare.

"It's so beautiful," Cynthia said.

"Yeah, and so are the girls!" Brock said giddily.

Ash was finding it difficult to concentrate on he sights however. His mind kept returning to those mysterious Pokémon he and Cynthia had encountered during the race. He jerked up in surprise when Cynthia elbowed him in the side. He looked at her curiously, but she merely pointed. He followed her finger and gasped.

There on twin thirty foot high pillars were the two Pokémon he'd seen. They were carved out of stone, but the intricate detail of the art made them unmistakable. He turned back to Cynthia and nodded.

As a sudden realization came to Ash, he leaned closer to Cynthia and asked, "So what was the other reason you came to Alto Mare?"

She smiled at him, "Guess."

"Those two Pokémon?" he asked.

She nodded, "I'll tell you what I know about them later."

Ash nodded.

"Thanks for giving us this tour Ross," Misty said to their guide.

"Ah don't mention it Misty," Ross said, "nothing's too good for the recipient of the first place glass medallion."

"Oh, thanks," Misty said, embarrassed. She pulled out the medallion she'd won and held it up to the sunlight.

"Check our the symbols along the edge," Ross suggested, "they tell the story of our Town. Do you like it Misty?"

"Yeah it's great," Misty said, "They look like Pokémon."

"Oh yeah, those are known as the Guardians of Alto Mare," Ross explained, "Latios and Latias. Legend has it that they watch over the town and protect us from danger."

"Are they real?" Brock asked.

"They say they are," Ross said, "I guess we never see them because it's so peaceful around here we haven't needed their protection."

Ash and Cynthia shared a look.

Ross dropped them off on one of the docks a short while later. "That place over there has great seafood," he told them, pointing, "and if your still hungry there's an Ice Cream place not too far from here."

"Thanks for everything Ross," Misty said for everything.

"No problem," Ross said, "Have fun. Ciao!"

"Ciao!" Everyone replied.

Ross pushed off and his Gondola floated off down the canal.

"Okay, Ice Cream?" Brock asked.

"Sounds good," Ash said.

"Yeah!" Cynthia cheered happily, "I love Ice Cream."

"Lets go!" Misty said.

* * *

Ash watched in amazement as Cynthia demolished a quadruple stack ice cream cone with four different flavors. It had taken her at least ten minutes to decide what she wanted, debating over every flavor before coming to a decision. Had Ash known she was so intense over ice cream he might have hesitated agreeing to come with.

"So what should we do now?" Misty asked as they left the Ice Cream shop.

"Let's go look at the Museum," Cynthia suggested.

"Okay."

Brock pulled out his guidebook to look up the best way to the museum.

Lucario's ears suddenly perked up and he turned to look towards the north. Ash frowned at his starter, "What is it?" he asked.

" _Something's wrong,"_ he said.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

" _I...I'm not sure, but something is terribly wrong. We have to go!"_

Brock and Misty, busy arguing over the best way to the museum, weren't paying attention. Cynthia however had heard Lucario and was frowning.

Ash wasn't sure what the problem was, but he trusted his Pokémon. "Hey guys, we'll catch up," he said and ran off.

"Wait up," Cynthia called, running after him.

They rushed through the streets, across two bridges, and down an alley where they saw them. It was the two who had had been playing on the battlefield before they watched his and Cynthia's battle against the twins. They were being attacked by an Ariados and an Espeon, most likely belonging to the two woman sitting in a motorboat on the canal. The Ariados had them tied up in its string shot and the Espeon was attacking them with its Psychic attack.

"Hey, what's going on!" Ash shouted. He ran over to the kids and started ripping the string shot off of them.

"We're just trying to prevent a fashion disaster," one of the women in the boat said.

Cynthia snorted, "What would you know about fashion? That hair went out of style twenty years ago."

"Ah, how dare you!" the woman shrieked, "Espeon use Psybeam!"

Espeon immediately fired a beam of multicolored energy from the gem on its forehead at Cynthia. Lucario however was faster, jumping in front of Cynthia and creating an aura shield to deflect the attack.

Cynthia glared, "So that's how you want to play? Fine." She grabbed a Poké ball and tossed it into the air, "Glaceon use Blizzard!" The Ice Type eeveelution appeared and unleashed a massive wave of cold air and snow over the two woman, knocking them out of their boat and into the canal, and leaving a coating of ice over the water.

"Aria!" the arachnid Pokémon hissed, scuttling at Cynthia.

"Oh no you don't," Ash said, "Lucario Blaze Kick!"

"Car!" he growled. His foot ignited in flames and he whirled around, delivering a roundhouse kick to Ariados and sending it crashing to the other side of the canal.

"Come on," Ash grabbed the teens hands and dragged them away. They ran through the city streets, over the canals, through alleys, and around corners until they were well and truly lost. Stopping in a small piazza they looked around. "I think we're safe now," Ash said, "Are you two alright?" he asked the two teens.

The two nodded, staring nervously at Cynthia and himself.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Cynthia said soothingly.

"Why were those girls attacking you?" Ash asked.

Neither of the two answered, simply glancing at one another. They nodded to one another then the boy grabbed Ash's hand while the girl grabbed Cynthia's. Without further ado they turned and started pulling the two trainers along down a different alley.

"Hey! Where are you taking us?" Ash cried in surprise.

Neither answered, merely pulling them along into the maze of streets and alleyways of Alto Mare. Ash and Cynthia looked at each other and shrugged, letting the two drag them along.

After about five minutes they reached a long path that lead through a series of vine covered arches and into a small piazza. There was a tile mosaic on the ground and a small fountain against a near wall where two pidgey were bathing.

The two silent teens released their hands and walked down to the end of one patch right to a dead end. They stopped, turning back to gesture for Ash and Cynthia to follow, before walking straight through the wall.

"What the..." Ash said, slowly approaching the wall. His eyes began glowing as he examined it with his aura sight; it was a powerful illusion, very old but never waning. "Wow," he said.

"What is it?" Cynthia asked, glancing over at Ash. He explained what he was seeing and she turned back to the wall with new eyes. "Ash, I think...I think those were Latios and Latias."

"What?"

"I'm remembering some of the stories that I've read about them," Cynthia said, "It's said that they can use their feathers to refract the light around them to become invisible or create an illusion of another form."

"And you think...that was them?" Ash asked.

"You didn't sense it?" Cynthia asked.

"No, I didn't bother," Ash said, "What about you Lucario?"

" _I sensed something different about them,"_ Lucario admitted, " _but my instincts said they were trustworthy."_

"Most Pokémon trust legendaries instinctively," Cynthia said, nodding towards Lucario.

"Well, let's follow them and see," Ash said. He placed his hand on the illusory wall and pushed his way through. He found himself in a long arched tunnel leading out into a massive garden.

"It's beautiful," Cynthia said, coming up to stand beside him.

"Yeah," Ash said, "it's amazing."

There were multiple levels in the garden, with green grass interspersed by stone paths through the whole place. There were dozens of trees of varying sizes standing next to bushes and flower gardens. Stone sculptures lined the pathways and there were several pools of clean water with lily pads floating on the surface. Then there were the Pokémon, water types swimming in the pools, grass types and bug types walking among the flowers and climbing the trees. At the far end of the garden was a large intricate fountain pouring streams of water into the pool below it.

They slowly descended the staircase into the main level of the garden, spotting the two teens waiting for them near the center of the garden. Ash activated his aura sight again as soon as he saw them, his breath catching as he saw their true forms. "You're right," he breathed, "It's them."

"Oh Arceus," Cynthia breathed.

"You know, you never did tell me the legend that drew you here," Ash said as he and Cynthia slowly walked towards Latios and Latias.

"It's said that an evil trainer with an Aerodactyl and a Kabutops terrorized the city," Cynthia said, "Then a Latios came and brought water to the city, drowning the Pokémon and stopping the trainer for good. The people then created a machine called the Defence Mechanism of Alto Mare that uses Latios' power should the town ever be threatened again. The DMA still sits in the Alto Mare Museum, though it's never been used."

"Wow," Ash said.

They approached the two, only for them to run off down one of the smaller pathways.

"Wait!" Ash said as he, Cynthia, and Lucario ran after them.

They found the two swinging back and forth on a rope swing hanging from one of the larger trees. The girl, Latias presumably, sat on the swing while the boy stood behind her, propelling the both of them.

Ash and Cynthia approached the two. "Latios?" Ash asked hesitantly.

"Latias?" Cynthia parroted.

The two suddenly had looks of fear on their faces and jumped from the rope swing.

"Wait!" Ash cried, "We don't want to hurt you."

"Please," Cynthia said, "We just want to be friends. Surely you can sense that?"

The two disguised Pokémon hesitated. Then their bodies were consumed in a shower of lights, revealing their true appearances.

Ash gently approached and held his hand out. He closed his eyes and began channelling his aura, causing his hand to glow gently. "I'm an Aura Guardian, my job is to help Pokémon, not hurt them."

Both legendary Pokémon looked at him in awe, then glanced at each other. "Laaa!" Latios and Latias cooed happily, approaching Ash and Cynthia respectively and nuzzling their faces.

"Haha, stop it that tickles," Ash laughed.

Cynthia giggled, reaching up and rubbing Latias' downy feathers. The Pokémon closed her eyes and cooed happily. "It's so soft," she said quietly, "this is amazing."

"I know," Ash said, running his hand along Latios' long neck.

"What's going on here?" an irate voice demanded.

Ash and Cynthia whipped around to see another girl standing behind them. She looked identical to the form that Latias had used to pass as human, with the exception of a white beret she wore on her head and she held an easel under her arm.

"Who are you?" she demanded, "What are you doing to Latios and Latias?"

"Nothing," Ash said quickly, "My name is Ash, and this is Cynthia."

"We're not doing anything to them," Cynthia explained calmly, "We rescued them from a group of women that were attacking them and they brought us here."

"Someone was attacking them?" the girl asked, a look of worry on her face. She turned to the two Pokémon, "is this true?"

They both nodded. "Laaaa!" Latios said.

"Well, thank you for helping them," the girl said, "My name is Bianca."

"Hmm, this is very troubling," another voice said. Everyone turned to see an older man approaching with, to their surprise, another Latias floating at his side. Them man was rather large and round, with a shiny bald head and a white beard and moustache, wearing a read long sleeve shirt and blue overalls. The Latias was larger than both the first Latios and Latias, with an air of maturity about her that made Harry assume that she was their older sibling or mother. "Hello there," he greeted Ash and Cynthia, "My name is Lorenzo, I'm Bianca's grandfather. And this is the twins mother, Tianna." he gestured at the Latias beside him.

"Laaaa!" the Latias cried, staring suspiciously at them, but not outright attacking.

Ash and Cynthia introduced themselves again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, now did I hear you correctly, someone was attacking Latios and Latias?"

"Yes sir," Ash said.

"And are you sure they didn't follow you?" Lorenzo asked seriously.

"They weren't in much of a position to follow us," Cynthia said, "We knocked them into the canal and ran for it."

"Well hopefully they will be safe," Lorenzo said. He turned to the two Pokemon, "but just in case I think it would be best if you two stay here for the time being."

The younger Latios and Latias nodded in agreement.

"Now then," Lorenzo turned back to Ash and Cynthia, "Why don't you join me for a walk?"

* * *

"So how long have you known Latios and Latias?" Cynthia asked Bianca.

"Since they hatched about seven years ago," Bianca said, "and grampa's known Tianna since he was young."

"I've known them since their father brought the water to the town," Lorenzo explained.

"Wow, I didn't know that was so recent," Cynthia said, "looking around you'd think this town had always had canals."

"We're a very adaptive people," Lorenzo said, "We've always been an island city, but when Latios rose the tides and created our canals we simply adjusted."

"Wow, that's impressive," Ash said.

Around them Latios and Latias were playing happily with Lucario. The aura Pokémon was leaping through the trees, hopping from one branch to Latios' back, to another branch as the Eon Pokémon flew circles around him. Tianna didn't join in, merely watching from Lorenzo's side.

Ash grinned as an idea came to him. "Hey Latios, Latias. Do you want to play with some more of my friends?"

"Laaa!" They both nodded excitedly.

"Alright," Ash said, reaching for his Poké ball belt. With multiple flashes of light Haunter, Wartortle, Dragonair, and Jolteon appeared. The legendaries cheered and swooped down to play.

"So, what's the real story behind them?" Cynthia asked, "I mean I've heard the legend but how much of it is based in fact?"

"It's entirely true," Lorenzo said, "the only part that isn't widely known is that when Latios brought the water to Alto Mare he used up all of his energy and passed away shortly after."

"He used all of his power, and then disappeared into thin air," Bianca said, "Tianna laid their two eggs not long after."

"She was left all alone with two kids," Ash said sadly, looking over at Tianna. He was painfully reminded of his own family, how his father was dead leaving his mother to raise him alone. Tianna met his eyes and understanding flashed in them. She floated over and gently nuzzled him.

Ash smiled, his eyes a little wet as he gently caressed Tianna's neck.

"Mmhmm," Lorenzo grunted in agreement, "however in his place was a beautiful jewel known as the soul dew, said to contain the spirit of Latios."

"That's incredible," Cynthia said.

"Wait, you said they were hatched 7 years ago?" Ash asked, "But, that's not possible. That would mean that they've been in their eggs for what? Fifty years?"

"Indeed," Lorenzo said.

"That's...incredible," Ash said in awe, "I wonder if it's normal for their species. Or maybe because they are Legendaries. Man, I wish it wasn't so hard to find Legendaries, there's so little known about them."

"I'm afraid I don't have the answers to your questions Ash," Lorenzo said,

They followed Lorenzo up a staircase to a patio overlooking the garden right at the top of the fountain. Inlaid on the ground before them was a large relief of images. "This diagram explains how the soul dew is used to power the DMA, I assume you know of it?" He pointed to one of the images depicting an odd looking machine.

Both of them nodded.

"The soul dew itself rests in this very garden, under the protection of Tianna and her children."

Ash looked over at the two younger legendaries, running a practiced eye over their forms. "Have...have they ever been in a battle before?" he asked.

Lorenzo frowned, "no, of course not. They never leave the garden without a disguise and all of the Pokémon here are peaceful."

"What about training?" Cynthia asked, obviously following Ash's line of thought.

"No," Bianca said, "I'm an artist and Grandpa builds Gondolas when he's not managing the museum. Neither of us own any Pokémon so we wouldn't know how."

"Maybe you should learn," Ash said, "because Legendary or not, an experienced trainer could defeat a Pokémon with no training. Even Tianna would have trouble." The older Latias was definitely stronger than her children, but she still looked inexperienced.

Lorenzo's frown deepened as he shared a glance with his granddaughter, then looking over at Tiana

"Laaaa!" Latias suddenly came up from behind Cynthia, nuzzling her happily.

"Oh hi sweetie," Cynthia cooed, hugging Latias neck.

A moment later Latios arrived next to Ash. "Oooos," he cooed, giving Ash a quick nuzzle.

Tianna suddenly cried out, staring intently at Latios as her eyes started glowing. Latios gazed back at her, his eyes taking on a glow of the same hugh.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, staring worriedly at the two Pokémon.

"Don't be afraid Ash," Bianca said smiling.

Tianna suddenly cried out before tucking her arms tight to her body and diving into the pond. Latios hovered close to Ash and Cynthia as his eyes flashed, then the world transformed around them. Suddenly they found themselves underwater, rushing through the canals of the city.

Cynthia gasped, "Sight-sharing, I thought that was just a myth."

Tianna swam passed a school of Remoraid and a Chinchou. She turned left heading down yet another canal. Several gondolas were floating on the surface of the water but Tianna swam right underneath them.

"Not at all," Lorenzo, "This is a rare privilege, to see through the eyes of Latias."

"This is amazing," Ash said, gazing around in awe.

* * *

"Where is the Soul Dew?"

Lorenzo and Bianca glanced at one another before turning and leading Ash and Cynthia to the top of the fountain.

Ash looked down into the pool and gasped. In the center of the pool sat a large sphere. A shimmering glow shone from the center of it, swirling with power. Ash activated his aura vision and instantly flinched away. The soul dew shone like a sun, exuding massive amounts of power which flowed into the water around it, spreading out into the canals all around the city.

"Wow, its beautiful," Cynthia said.

"I'll tell you something," Lorenzo said to Ash and Cynthia, "this beautiful jewel contains not only the spirit of Latios, but also the power to destroy our town. It must never leave this pool, so you see it's whereabouts must be kept a secret."

They both nodded in understanding.

The sun was beginning to set, so Ash returned all of his Pokémon save Lucario, then he and Cynthia said goodbye to Latios and Latias.

"We'll be back tomorrow," Ash said, petting Latios.

"We promise," Cynthia said, cooing over Latias.

They followed Lorenzo into one of the arched entrances to the garden and emerged into a small building that opened up over a large canal. "This is my workshop," Lorenzo said.

"Where you build Gondolas?" Cynthia asked.

"Yeah, it's a job that keeps me busy in this town," Lorenzo said, "Bianca, why don't you take these two back into town?"

"Okay, come on," Bianca said, "my parents have a motorboat docked nearby."

"Where are your parents?" Ash asked as they followed her down the sidewalk.

"Out of town, they like to explore," Bianca said disinterestedly.

"I take it you don't," Ash commented.

"Not really," Bianca said, "I've never really wanted to leave Alto Mare. There are so many amazing sights here for me to draw why would I?"

"Well maybe you'd change your mind if I could show you some of the amazing things I've seen on my journey," Cynthia said, "I'll dig out my camera and show you some pictures."

Bianca shrugged, "Maybe...possibly when I'm older. It's just I've never been interested in becoming a Pokémon Trainer and I know it can be dangerous without a Pokémon."

"Have you ever heard of a Pokémon called a Smeargle?" Ash asked.

"No, why?"

"Look them up when you get a chance Bianca," Ash told her, "they might spark your interest."

"Why don't you show her on your Pokédex?" Cynthia asked.

"I don't have it," Ash sighed, "Sam took it and my Pokénav for something. He's going to send them to me when he finishes his upgrades."

The three humans and Lucario boarded the speedboat where Bianca took them back to the Pokémon center.

"Thanks for the lift Bianca," Ash said.

"No problem Ash," Bianca said, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely," Ash said, "Is it alright if we bring our other friends? They are Pokémon Trainers too but I swear they are trustworthy."

Bianca looked unsure as she said, "I don't know. I'll ask my grandpa. Meet us in the museum tomorrow morning okay?"

"Okay," Ash and Cynthia said.

"Good night," Cynthia said, waving as she, Ash, and Lucario entered the Pokémon Center.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Ash gulped and Lucario whined as an irate redhead bared down on them.

* * *

 **I have no excuse. But here it is...finally, Chapter 26. So what do you guys think? Let me know, and I'll have the next chap out as soon as I am able. Until then...**

 **Dragonwolf12**


End file.
